The Comet Cometh Revisited
by iwolf208
Summary: Ace, Lexi, Duck, Slam, Tech, and Rev. You know them as the superheroes of Acmetropolis, but what were they like before the comet hit? What's the real story behind the Loonatics? (an in-depth expansion on the original epsiode...) **Ch. 6 & 7 featuring Ace Bunny!**
1. Prologue

**(These author notes are a bit on the long side. If you want, you can come back and read them later, just skip all the bold font to get to the story...)**

**Before I go on and explain what this story is about, I feel like I want to start by explaining why I am writing this in the first place and what you guys can expect from my writing in general. Let me start out by saying that I am BRAND NEW to this site. In fact, I previously had a somewhat negative view towards fanfiction in general, assuming it was all just obsessed fangirls putting romances together and writing stories about them in poor grammar. And, even though there is a _little_ truth to that stereotype, I have to admit that there are some pretty intriguing stories on here. Why did I come to this site then? Probably for the same reason most of you did. You see, I became re-acquainted with this old show over this past Christmas Break. I remember being very interested in this show when I was younger, but for whatever reason, I never actually watched most of the episodes. So, (thanks to Youtube and boredom) I finally got to watch the show over the break. Long story short, I became a fan. I had always been a fan of the whole "superhero team" genre, and I found these characters particularly attatching (plus that first season theme song is _kick-ass!_) However, that doesn't mean the show was perfect and most of its problems were in the writing. The characters were fun, but they weren't very deep, and hardly any time was devoted to character development. Plus, the scripts had more than their fair share of plot-holes and cheesy dialogue. Despite that, I saw ALOT of potential in this show and I was ultimately saddened that it only lasted two seasons and that general views on the series as a whole are mixed at best. **

**Anyway, one episode I was particularly excited to see was "The Comet Cometh" from the first season. I always loved origin stories and when I heard that this episode would go into how the Loonatics got their powers, I became anxious to see it. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. I felt like there was so much more that they could've done to explore the characters. Overall, there were alot more questions that I would've liked to have answered. So naturally, I began making my own answers. Thoughts led to ideas...ideas led to words...words led to stories...and stories ultimately led me here. **

**This story will basically be a re-telling of the original episode of "The Comet Cometh". The basic framestory will be kept mostly the same, but it will also be expanded on. Also, I intend to delve more into the characters themselves and into their backstories. This story will attempt to answer many of the questions that I had over the course of the series. What _exactly_ were the Loonatics like before they got their superpowers? They probably didn't instantly realize that the comet gave them superpowers, so how did they find out? What did they do afterwards? How did the team get together? I will answer all of these questions over the course of this story. Also I intend to spend _alot_ of time on characterization and development. I want to make each of them more relatable and realistic with feelings, motivations, desires, and fears. THAT is my ultimate goal.**

**Also, I am rating this story as "T" just to be on the safe side. In reality, most of it will be more suitable for "K+" but it will have its moments...**

**I feel like I could explain more, but I think I'll wait until the end to tell you more about what's to come in the future. So, without further ado... ENJOY!**

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><p><strong>Ch. 1 – Prologue<strong>

"…It is why we are gathered here on this day, the one-year anniversary of the meteor's impact," a booming voice proclaimed through a microphone. The voice belonged to the mayor of Acmetropolis who was standing in front of a podium on a large stage before hundreds… no, thousands of citizens. "Adjusting to this strange new world has been difficult for all of us. Fortunately, we have had help from six _extraordinary_ individuals who have watched over and protected us…"

The six individuals she spoke of stood proudly side-by-side next to her on the stage. Each of them played an important role as a member of the team (the "Loonatics" as they were dubbed.) However, the team knew, as well as the rest of the city, that there was only one member of the team who _truly _deserved the recognition of such a ceremony. That member was the one standing closest to the podium, dressed in a black-and-orange supersuit.

"And now…" the mayor continued, "to accept this award for being the **Greatest** Hero in the History of the Known Universe, the leader and _most handsome_ member of the Loonatics...DANGER DUCK!" The thousands of spectators burst into thunderous applause. The duck stood still for a moment basking in the moment with a confident and superior look on his face. He regally turned his head in the direction of his teammates who were all gazing upon him with complete adoration. On the furthest end, Rev, the speed demon of the group, was jumping up and down with joy, yipping and hollering praise for his friend. Beside him, Tech, the technical "expert" of the group, took a moment from his frantic clapping to place his fingers in his mouth and release a piercing whistle. Slam, the group's strong-man (though certainly not as strong as him) practically shook the city each time he clasped his enormous meat-hooks together, all while grunting with excitement through his gigantic ear-to-ear grin. Lexi, the group's token hot-chick, took a second from her own clapping to wipe a tear that had found its way out of her eye. And finally, Ace, who stood the closest to Duck, made no cheering or clapping, but simply stood there with an approving, yet humble look on his face as he placed his hand on his chest and proceeded to bow in deep respect for his clear superior.

The duck turned from his teammates and approached the podium where the mayor stood by. As Duck took his place, he waited a moment to let the crowd subside before he could start speaking. But, when it quickly became clear that they wouldn't quell anytime soon, the mallard simply raised his hand, immediately silencing the crowd. "Thank you, thank you," he began, "Dear citizens of Acmetropolis, I can't tell you how honored I am to be receiving this award tonight. For you have bestowed upon me, your superior, with the title of 'Greatest Hero in the Known Universe'…good for you! Protecting this city certainly hasn't been an easy job, but I will continue to put my life on the line each and every day so that you, my humble citizens, can continue to worship the ground I walk upon." The crowd once again erupted into applause. "There are many people I would like to thank for paving the way on my glorious rise to the top-"

"Hold it right there, Danger Duck!" a booming voice echoed from the back of the assembly. The people gasped in horror as a large figure emerged into view. The figure was that of a man who stood at least 7ft. tall with a bodybuilder's physique of at least 300lbs. of pure muscle. He was dressed in a black and chrome metallic suit which covered every inch of his body except for his face. He sported long black hair, with a streak of purple right down the center, which hung down to his waist. His eyes were glowing blood-red, one of which was covered by a metal eye patch which also served to partially cover an enormous scar that ran vertically on the right side of his face. For Duck, this man needed no introduction.

"Why, it's my arch-nemesis…_DR. EVIL-MAN_!" Duck bellowed sinisterly into the microphone. The entire crowd gasped once again, and a woman in the front row fainted.

The villain gave a hearty evil laugh, "Yes, it is I, _Dr. Evil-man_! And once I defeat you, there will be no one to stop me from taking over Acmetropolis, and soon _the entire universe!_" The villain laughed again as the crowd began to run wild in fear for their lives. Even the Loonatics looked intimidated by such a large and dominating figure, but the duck kept his composure.

"In your dreams, Dr. Evil-man! As long as I'm here, you will never have this city," Duck's eyes began to glow orange and two flaming orange spheres appeared in his hands as he readied his battle stance, "Now feel the wrath of Danger Duck!" With all his might, he threw the spheres at the villain, hitting him directly in the face and revealing their contents – orange juice.

"_Nooooooooo, not orange juice!_" Dr. Evil-man wailed as his face began to give off smoke, "How did you know that was my one true weakness?" Smoke was now being emitted from his entire body, which had begun to liquefy, "I'm melting….._melting_….I'll get you for this, Duck….I'll get you…!" The villain's screams grew weaker and weaker until he was nothing more than a black and white puddle on the ground.

The dispersed crowd once again erupted into cheering and hollering of praises. His fellow Loonatics huddled around him and lifted him into the air, throwing him up repeatedly. The people had all begun to chant in unison, "DANGER DUCK! DANGER DUCK!"

"You-did-it-Duck! You're-a-hero!" Rev screeched.

"You handled that way betta than I could have!" Ace admitted.

"You're so much smarter than me, Duck. I would've never thought of orange juice!" Tech said adoringly.

"Not to mention how _handsome_ you are, Duck!" Lexi praised.

The crowd continued to cheer…

"DANGER DUCK!"

"DANGER DUCK!"

Eventually, his teammates placed him back onto the stage as a swarm of supermodels and fangirls rushed up to him, showering the duck with giggling hugs and kisses.

"DANGER DUCK!"

"DANGER DUCK!"

The girls momentarily stopped their affectionate displays as the mayor approached the hero with her microphone.

"Danger Duck," she announced, "once again, you have acted heroically and saved the entire city! We are all greatly in your debt."

"All in a day's work ma'am," Duck said coolly. One of the supermodels kissed him on the cheek.

"So tell us," the mayor resumed, "how does it feel to know that you are now the world's biggest _**BBRRRTT!**_"

Duck's eyes grew wide with surprise and puzzlement. He must've been hearing things, "Excuse me?" he inquired.

"I said," The mayor continued, "How does it feel to know that you, Danger Duck, _**BBRRRTT!**_ the world's biggest _**BBRRRTT!**_?"

Duck was now worried, "Wait, what?"

"Yeah, Duck…" he turned his head to look at Ace who had now picked up the questioning, "How does it feel ta know that you _**BBRRRTT!**_ the biggest _**BBRRRTT!**_ in Acmetropolis?"

Duck decided to take offense, "What? How dare you!" he shouted defensively at the bunny. Suddenly, all the chants and cheers of the people turned into that same offensive noise.

_**BBRRRTT!**_

_**BBRRRTT!**_

What the hell was THIS supposed to be about? Had everyone suddenly gone insane? The people seemed to be screeching louder and louder causing Duck to wince as he covered his ears in a vain attempt to drown it out…

_**BBRRRTT!**_

_**BBRRRTT!**_

_**BBRRRTT!**_

…

••

Time: 9:37 a.m.

Date: March 19, 2773

_**BBRRRTT!**_

_**BBRRRTT!**_

_**BBRRRTT!**_

Duck barely managed to pull his eyelids apart. His sleepy eyes gazed aimlessly around the room for a minute or two as he came to terms with this new reality. _"So it was all just a dream..."_ he thought to himself, _"a wonderful, wonderful dream….."_ It was such a shame, too. Everything seemed to be going perfectly. He tried to close his eyes in the hopes that he could somehow return to that same wonderful place…

_**BBRRRTT!**_

_**BBRRRTT!**_

Damn, his alarm clock was annoying. Why didn't he have one of those alarm clocks that played your own music or even at least turned on the radio? Why was that annoying buzzer the _only_ sound his clock was capable of making? He knew he had to get up soon, but his bed was just so comfy…

_**BBRRRTT!**_

_**BBRRRTT!**_

"_Alright, alright!"_ the duck thought to himself as he thrust his hand over the clock and hit the 'off' button. As much as that thing annoyed the hell out of him, he knew that it was all for the better. After all, today was a special day, and he couldn't afford to waste any more time lying around in bed. He had to get ready to meet his many adoring fans. Who knows, perhaps today would end up turning his wonderful dream into a reality…

Deep down, he knew it was probably too good to be true, but a Duck could dream, couldn't he? His mind entertained the possibilities as he lazily rolled out of bed, slipped his feet into a soft pair of slippers and left the room to join his teammates.

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><p><strong>So, there it was, what did you think? <strong>

**Yeah, there wasn't a whole lot of substance in this chapter, it was more of a comedic introduction than anything. In reality, I intended this only to be the very first part of chapter one. But, chapter one was getting WAY too long (6,000+ words and still a long way to go) so I decided to split it up into 3 parts. I was intending to upload them all at the same time, but I got impatient and decided to upload this one early. The other two parts WILL be uploaded at the same time and will likely be up within a couple of weeks. **

**Overall, it looks like this story will end up being about 10 or 11 chapters long (give or take). They will be fairly lengthy, and most of them will be at least double the length of this one. Each character will have their own chapter devoted to their backstory, but those won't start until chapter 4 (originally chapter 2 until I was forced to split up the first one) These first 3 chapters will be used to set up the story, and just to have a little fun with characters, you know, getting to know them better :)**

**Hmmm...I still feel like I have more to say...but I'm sure it can wait until the next chapter...**

**So please tell me what you think, I love any kind of feedback. And be on the lookout for more chapters coming soon! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Morning at HQ

**No, that was not a typo. This chapter is in fact 17,000+ words. =O**

(Well... actually Microsoft Word said it was only a little over 15,000 words, but this site seems to think otherwise... and these author's notes can't be beefing it up THAT much...)

**I figured this chapter was going to end up being long, but I never figured that it would end up being _this_ massive. I suppose its largely due to the fact that this chapter has so much dialouge. I almost feel like apologizing for not finding stuff to cut out...**

**As I've mentioned before, I'm spending these first 3 chapters introducing the story and touching on the character's personalities. Let me start by saying that I sort of have mixed feelings about this chapter. There are some really good things in it, but there are also times where I feel like it drags a little, but hey, maybe thats just me being overly critical about my own work. That being said, there is ALOT of dialouge in this chapter. The team really isn't doing much of anything besides interacting with eachother (that is until the very last part), so I tried to make the conversations as realistic and flowing as possible, and I guess that's what made this chapter so long. Don't worry, future chapters won't be _nearly_ this long (hopefully). Also, there will be alot more stuff for the Loonatics to do actually _do_ in the next chapter, so let's keep our hopes up for that. =) **

**So with that, I suggest that you not read this all at once. _Reviewing_ the piece from top to bottom actually took me about an hour and a half :P So, I recommend reading this chapter in _sections_. There are actually 4 breaks in the story, and I suggest that you use at least one of them to actually take a break and come back to it later. If you feel like trying to read the whole thing in one shot, be my guest, but don't blame me if your eyes start getting tired, or you start losing interest. (If you feel like the story is dragging, maybe you just need to take a break :P lol)**

**Also, I'd like to take a second and thank everyone who gave me a review for the first chapter. Your words were so encouraging, and I feel honored to have recieved them. I hope this chapter, as well as the rest of the story, exceeds your expectations...**

**I'll talk some more at the end. For now, let's just get to the story...**

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><p><strong>Ch. 2 – Morning at HQ<br>**

With the arrival of the mallard, a pair of metal doors rushed open allowing Duck to enter the kitchen/dining area. The rest of his teammates were already there. Both Rev and Lexi were working in the kitchen. Rev was multi-tasking at top speed switching between the stove, the oven, and the contents of the refrigerator. Lexi was at one of the counters mixing what appeared to be waffle batter in a large bowl. He also noticed that some covered food platters had been placed in the center of the rectangular dining table. Ace sat at the far end of the table reading a newspaper, while Slam sat at the close end, trying to construct some kind of pyramid out of forks and spoons. His eyes, however, seemed to keep wandering to the food. And, at the far end of the room, all by himself, Tech was meditating silently while sitting on top of one of those "levitating discs" he had put together. He, Ace, and Rev were the only ones in uniform. Duck, Slam, and Lexi still sported their pajamas. As Duck approached the table to take a seat, Lexi was the first one to make mention of his arrival.

"Well there's Mr. Sleepy-head! What happened, did your alarm clock break again?" she teased.

"What's the big deal? It's only 9:30…"

"Correction, Duck," Ace chimed in, "it's almost 10:00, and ya know ya really shouldn't be sleepin' in on a day like today…"

"Well, it's not like you guys have been up for that long…" Duck defended.

"Actually," Lexi answered, "I woke up about an hour ago, and both Rev and Slam were already up by then. Ace has been up since 7, and Tech over there's been awake since 5 this morning!"

"So what? It's Tech, _big whoop!_ I probably wouldn't be able to sleep much either if I spent day after day locked up in that laboratory of his while the rest of us are actually out having _lives_…" Duck said bitingly.

"I heard that!"

The coyote's sudden interruption apparently caught the duck off-guard as he jumped slightly at the noise. His jump barely nudged the table, but it was enough to knock over Slam's cutlery construction. He groaned slightly in disappointment ("D'aaaawwww…") but immediately started the rebuilding process.

"Oh sorry, Tech," Ace apologized for his teammate, "did we distoib you?"

The hovering pedestal had stopped floating and was now resting on the ground as Tech stood up to approach the table, "A little bit, but it's all good, chief. I was just finishing up anyway."

As Tech took a seat next to Ace, he turned his attention to the fowl with the loud beak, "And for your information, Duck, I was only awake so early because the city officials contacted me _yesterday_ asking me to put together an attraction for the festival _today_."

"How's that goin', by tha way?" Ace asked.

"Actually, all I really have left are the finishing touches. I should be able to finish it up after breakfast. I might need a little help, though."

"Sure, pal, whatever ya need! Right, Duck?" Ace brought the conversation back to their aloof teammate who only responded with a forced sigh.

"Listen, Duck, you have a point," Tech explained, "9:40 isn't really THAT late to be waking up. But I'm sure you know, as well as the rest of us do, that today's _kind of_ important. The least you could do is _try_ to wake up a little earlier and lend us a helping hand. If everyone else can do it, I'm sure you can too."

Duck knew he had a point, but he still felt like he had to have the last word, "Well, I'm sorry that my beauty sleep comes as such an inconvenience to everyone…"

Tech and Ace smirked at each other, but decided to let him have it this time. Lexi waltzed up to the table to set down a few more plates. Slam's mouth started watering as he raised his hands in an attempt to seize his eye's desire.

"Hold it, big guy," Lexi stopped him, "No one eats until everything's ready and we're all at the table. It'll just be a bit longer, okay?"

Slam groaned again ("Ooookkaaayy….") and gingerly went back to his silverware.

"Speakin' a which," Ace asked, "How much longa 'till we get ta eat, Lex?"

"Yeah, I'm practically dying of starvation, here!" Duck added.

"Don't worry guys, I'm sure we're almost done. Right, Rev?"

Rev answered in his usual top-speed fashion, "You're-absolutely-right-Lexi-and-BOY-do-we-have-a-treat-for-you-guys-today-if-you-just-give-me-a-few-more-seconds-for-the-muffins-to-finish-cooking-and-we-just-gotta-let-the-bacon-simmer-for-another-minute-or-two-and-then-all-we-have-left-are-the-WAFFLES-which-shouldn't-take-long-at-all-now-that-we-have-the-new-high-tech-waffle-maker-that-Tech-designed-for-us-which'll-have-those-babies-_golden_-before-you-can-say—(*ding!*) THEMUFFINSAREDONE!" With the alarm, Rev raced over to the oven to pull out his latest creation.

"We should really have Rev in here more often." Lexi noted cheerfully, "With his speed, we can get a 7-course meal in a 2-course time!"

"You guys sure are making a lot of food," Tech pointed out, "are you sure we need all this?"

"Well today's a special occasion isn't it? Besides, I'm sure Slam, here, will be more than happy to take care of whatever we don't eat." At the mention of this idea, the Tasmanian laughed excitedly in approval.

It was indeed a special occasion. Today marked the 1-year anniversary of the day a meteor had struck the city. At approximately 12:37 p.m. on the day of March 19, 2772, a rogue asteroid landed in the middle of Acmetropolis Harbor. Surprisingly, the impact resulted in very few casualties and only a handful of injuries, but the strike was powerful enough to knock the planet off its original axis, resulting in climate and time shifts all across the globe. Additionally, massive amounts of cosmic radiation were released from the impact zone that lingered throughout the entire city for several days. Fortunately, the radiation proved relatively harmless (save for a few scattered illnesses) but for some, it did provide an _unusual_ side effect. For these 6 heroes, today marked the day that radiation from the meteor's first shockwave changed their lives forever. By somehow altering their DNA in ways that were previously thought impossible, they were each endowed with unique superhuman abilities. Since that day, the 6 of them had certainly come a long way. Two weeks after the impact, they all met for the first time and eventually decided to form a crime-fighting team of real-life superheroes. Despite their good intentions, the city was naturally apprehensive towards such an unusual group, but as time passed, the heroes proved themselves, and Acmetropolis quickly began to view them as a symbol of hope and security. Particularly in a strange new world that had become filled with chaos and uncertainty (the meteor's impact had also brought out more than its fair share of freaks and self-proclaimed villains, to put it lightly.) As a reference to a television show that was wildly popular over 800 years ago, the media dubbed the team as "The Loonatics" (as the heroes looked notably similar to characters in the original program) and the name quickly stuck. A year later, the Loonatics have become recognized as superheroes worldwide, and today, Acmetropolis was honoring them with a festival as a way of saying thanks. It was indeed a special occasion.

A few minutes had passed… *DING! DING!*

"Alright-guys-the-waffles-are-done-and-that-means-WE-CAN-EAT!" Rev finally announced with excitement. With this announcement, Slam had begun to grin eagerly while throwing his fists repeatedly on the table.

Lexi and Rev approached the table with the last few trays of food, and took their seats after setting them down. Duck raised a fork in his right hand and a spoon in his left high into the air, "Alright men! Let's get eatin'!"

Slam raised his arms in the same manner, "Yeeeaaaaahhh!" he bellowed. But just as they were about to uncover the plates, a voice interrupted them.

"Good morning, Loonatics."

On cue, the lights dimmed slightly and the six of them turned their heads to the living area beside them, where the voice was coming from. In the center of the living area, there stood a large circular pedestal which was now releasing a stream of holographic, multi-colored light up to the ceiling. A woman wearing a red robe, and sporting luminous white eyes appeared within the light to greet them. She had long, flowing blonde hair which was moving upward as if it was being affected by the stream.

"Good morning, Zadavia," Ace spoke for the team, "How've ya been?"

"I'm doing well, Ace, thank you for asking," Zadavia took notice of the two teammates who still had their hands in the air, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything…"

"Not at all ma'am, we were just about ta eat breakfast. What's on ya mind?"

Slam and Duck lowered their hands reluctantly back to the table to listen to their boss.

"I was just stopping by to check up on all of you. I trust that you all have been preparing diligently for the festivities today."

"You betch'ur bottom-dollar, boss-lady," Duck spoke out before anyone else could respond. "I for one can say that I was lucky to find any time for sleep at all, what with all the hard work and back-breaking labor I've been putting in. Yep, you might as well start calling me 'Diligent Duck'!" The mallard wore a proud smile on his face. His teammates could be seen either rolling their eyes or passing him a look, but all of them remained silent. This was an outburst that wouldn't be dignified with a response.

Zadavia raised her brow, "Yes, Duck… I'm sure you have…" Duck's smile faded as she continued, "I'm sure I don't need to remind you of today's importance. It is truly an honor that the city would go to such lengths to put something like this together, and all for the sake of gratitude. Naturally, I expect you all to be on your best behavior and to represent the team to the best of your abilities."

The other teammates snuck a glance at Duck, who quickly took notice, "What're you all lookin' at me for?"

"Technicalities aside," she continued, "I would like to take this time to offer the six of you my _personal_ thanks. All of Acmetropolis, as well as I, owe an incredible debt to your services. And let me be the first to say how proud I am of each and every one of you for selflessly putting your lives on the line each and every day for the good of the people."

"D'aaaawwwww…." Slam blushed, "yuuur wekkumm…."

"So today, even though I'm sure you've probably already made this assumption, I would like to formally and officially give the team the day off. Now, you are all free to enjoy yourselves at the festival today for as long as you like."

A few cheers went up from the table. "Thanks a lot, ma'am!" Ace spoke for the group.

"Well with all the dedication you've shown, you deserve at least one day where you don't have to worry about the fate of the city."

"Ain't that the truth…!" Duck agreed.

"Say, Zadavia," Lexi spoke up, "does this mean that you'll be at the ceremony today, too?"

"Well, it does sound appealing, and it's sure to be a memorable experience... but, alas, I've already made commitments."

"Awww come on, Zadavia, you_ have_ to be there," Lexi insisted. "You're a member of this team just as much as we are, maybe even more."

"Yeah," Rev added in agreement, "I-mean-you-gave-us-food-running-water-this-AWESOME-place-to-live-and-not-to-mention-all-the-stuff-you-do-behind-the-scenes-like-the-planning-organizing-scouting-monitoring-finances-public-image-and-providing-for-our-general-well-being…"

"And…" Tech pushed, "we can't forget that if it weren't for you, the six of us would've never met, and this team probably would've never been."

"Well, I am flattered that you all think so highly of me," the boss responded, "but in reality, I only play a small role that accompanies the much bigger burden that the six of you have to carry. If anyone deserves credit as heroes, it would be all of you."

"Well, we still appreciate everything you do for us," Ace concluded.

Zadavia smiled, "Thank you, Ace. Now take today to relax and enjoy yourselves, Loonatics. You've earned it. Zadavia, out!"

With her signature final words, her image disappeared along with the stream of light, and the lighting in the room returned to normal.

"Wow, she gets out even less than you, Tech," Duck commented to which the coyote responded with a small sneer.

"Alright," Ace spoke up, "Now that that's out of tha way, let's see what we got unda' these plates…"

With their leader's suggestion, the six of them began to uncover the platters that sat on the table before them. Ooohs and awed gasps sprang up sporadically as their contents were revealed. It seemed almost like anything and everything that had ever been called a breakfast food had been prepared for them. There were plates of eggs served scrambled, sunny-side up, poached, Benedict, and even served with other foods as an omelet. There were both waffles and pancakes cooked plain as well as with blueberries, strawberries, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. Plates of meat included sausage, ham, and three kinds of bacon (regular, turkey, and maple.) Hash browns were both cooked and served three different ways, there was both French and buttered toast, six different flavors of muffins, biscuits served with either gravy or jam, and three flavors of oatmeal. And, in the center of it all, there was also a huge tray decorated with almost every fruit imaginable like, apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries, kiwis, mangoes, cherries, pineapples, grapefruit, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, blue, black, and raspberries, and even watermelon.

"_Wow_…" Ace was the first to comment in words, "Rev…Lex…you guys've really outdone ya 'selves…!"

"Well, Rev deserves more thanks than I do," Lexi confessed, "I only had time to make the French toast and the waffles by the time he made everything else…"

"Nice goin' there, Rev!" The leader light-heartedly tussled the feathers on top of the roadrunners head.

"Just-glad-I-could-help-out-the-team, Ace!" Rev shot back proudly.

"_Holy cow_, look at all this food!" Duck finally announced in amazement. "It's making my mouth water just looking at it! I don't even know where to begin…there's the sausage…but then there's also the ham… but wait, I have to save room for the waffles…should I get blueberry or strawberry?...or maybe I'll just have an omelet…"

The rest of the team had already begun gathering their food as he mulled his options out loud. "Well, if I were you, Duck, I wouldn't take too long to decide." Tech spoke with a tone that almost sounded like a warning.

Duck simply scoffed and started another of his self-righteous monologues, "Oh my dear, Tech…you simply do not understand. _I_ am a real-life superhero now, and every true hero knows in his heart that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even the mightiest king knows how essential it is to start out his day with a healthy breakfast, and I am _certainly_ no exception. One must not squander the sacred gift that is the morning meal, but rather, it should be enjoyed to its _fullest!_ And a feast of this magnitude shouldn't simply be _enjoyed_… but CONQUERED! So, it is my choice…..no…._my duty,_ to make sure I have the best meal that I can possibly have. And furthermore-" while taking a second to gather his next thought, he noticed that his teammates were staring at him with anticipating looks, "—what's with all the starin'?"

His teammates didn't respond to his question as if their actions were self-explanatory. He noticed that each of them had already piled their plates. Tech and Ace looked as though they had already pre-gathered their seconds. "Hey, you guys sure loaded up fast," he commented curiously, "what's with the rush?"

Again his teammates remained silent, braced for something that Duck obviously wasn't aware of. He began to analyze everything as best he could to figure out what was going on. Tech _did _caution him to hurry up, and he _did _notice that his teammates were grabbing for food unusually quickly while he was giving his speech. He got his last clue when he realized that it wasn't him that the others were staring at, but rather the beast who sat next to him. Since the plates had been uncovered, Slam hadn't so much as moved an inch or made a sound. There he sat motionless with his eyes wide and his mouth agape. But Duck did notice one thing: it seemed almost as if his pupils were shrinking as his mouth grew wider.

"No…" Duck began to protest, almost at a whisper, "Slam, please don't…!"

But by then, it was too late. The Tasmanian quickly snapped back to reality and released a series of crazed and excited yelping noises. His eyes glew purple as he stood up, surrounded himself with one of his signature tornados, and threw himself onto the table, devouring everything in a matter of seconds. Once his frenzy had subsided, Slam quelled his tornado and his eyes returned to normal. He landed softly back into his chair and let out a stomach-settling belch before picking at his teeth with a look of pure satisfaction. Every plate on the table had had been ravaged, but surprisingly, all the food that his teammates had already claimed was left untouched.

Duck's bill practically hit the table in disbelief, "B-but...but….I…." he stuttered.

"We tried to warn ya, Duck…" Ace mused.

"Thanks a lot, Slam! Now all the food is gone, and I have nothing to eat!"

"Actually… Slam didn't eat _everything_," Lexi noted as she picked up a nearby wicker basket, "there's still some muffins in this muffin basket."

"_Give it here!_" Duck spat out eagerly as he snatched the basket away from her. Unfortunately, his smile faded when he looked inside only to find a handful of strange-looking brown ones. He picked one of them up and inspected it apprehensively before managing a small bite. The bite was soon rejected. "_Bran muffins?"_ he asked in disbelief, "Who the hell makes bran muffins? Who the hell _eats_ bran muffins?" He turned his shouting questions to the cook, who only shrugged his shoulders.

Duck plopped back into his chair, "Well that's just great…" He looked over the muffin for a little while longer with distaste before he began forcing himself to eat it. He was hungry, after all.

Several minutes passed as the Loonatics tended to their food and made light conversation. Once Ace noticed that everyone had mostly finished up, he decided to bring up more important matters.

"Alright, I say we go ahead and get this business stuff outta tha way. Rev, run down to tha lab and check tha computer to see if tha mayor has sent us an itinerary yet." Ace didn't mind asking, as Rev had finished his food before anyone else.

"You-got-it-Ace!" The roadrunner's eyes glew bright red as he stood up and raced out of the room, leaving a thin line of flames on the ground behind him. As soon as he left the room, Ace lifted his hand, displaying all of his fingers, and began to count backwards from "10". Rev was back by "3".

"7-seconds! I-must-be-slowing-down!" Rev commented jokingly when he returned to see Ace holding up his time.

"Nice goin', Rev!" Ace commended, "So tell us, what exactly does today have in store fer us?"

"Hmmm…." Rev looked over the schedule a bit as he sat back down. "Well-it-looks-like-the-festival-is-actually-starting-right-now-but-it's-a-good-thing-that-we-don't-have-to-be-there-right-now-because-otherwise-we-would-be-running-late-and-it-would-be-rude-to-keep-our-fans-waiting-so-it's-a-good-thing-we-have-time-to-finish-getting-things-ready-because-otherwise-"

Rev's runaway mouth was interrupted when Tech reached across the table and clasped the runner's beak shut. He didn't usually like being so forceful with his friend, but sometimes it was the only way. "Let me handle this one, Rev…" The roadrunner handed him the paper as he let go of his beak.

"Let's see…" the coyote began, "Like he was saying, the fairgrounds officially open at 10 a.m., which is…. *looks at his watch* …in about four minutes. But we're not expected to be there until the 12:00 "Fan Meet n' Greet / Autograph Signing" at the Civic Auditorium. It says that they're not sure how long the event will last, but they've reserved the auditorium for two hours. Once we're done, we have a few hours of free time until 5:00 when we have to be at the Central Plaza for a recognition ceremony, which shouldn't take much longer than half an hour at most. And, since Zadavia gave us the day off, we're free to enjoy the festival for the rest of the night afterwards!"

"Sounds like a good day ta me! So, what's left to do before we head out?" Ace questioned openly to the group.

"Well," Tech answered first, "I still have to finish the ride I'm putting together. It shouldn't take me more than an hour and a half at most."

"Well… I'm-pretty-much-caught-up-right-now….. I guess I-can-get-started-on-the-dishes." Rev answered as he got up from the table and began walking to the kitchen.

"An hour and a half sounds like just enough time for me to take a shower and get ready." Lexi answered while also getting up, "I think I'll do that."

"Mee tooohh!" Slam responded while getting up himself.

"And I also…" Duck announced confidently at first, but slowly became more and more uncertain, "have…things…to do….as well….."

"Nice try, Duck," Tech stopped him, "But you're not getting off the hook THAT easily."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. And that's why I have an errand for you to run." Tech pulled a small notepad from his back pocket and began writing stuff down.

Duck groaned, "Aww, couldn't you just get someone else to do it? Like _Slam_, he's not doing anything right now!"

"Ehh…no."

"Oh come on! Remember what he did to the food? Sounds like Slam needs to learn a thing or two about being a good teammate."

"You know, I could say the same thing about you. _But unlike you,_ Slam actually woke up early this morning and gave us a helping hand. Besides, it's not even a big deal. I just need you to pick something up for me."

Duck gave a frustrated sigh before giving in, "_Fine…_ what do you need?"

"I'm writing down the address of the technical hardware store that I usually go to, as well as a list of things I need to finish my invention. I want _you_ to run down to the store and ask for a guy named Jason. When you see him, just give him this list, and he should be able to find everything for you." Tech tore the piece of paper from his notepad and handed it to Duck. "I've also put down my membership number as well as my signature, so just charge it all to my account. I doubt they'll ask for anything else so long as you're in uniform. Any questions?"

"Yes... who's Jason?"

"He's actually my old roommate from my days at grad school. I can usually trust him with getting my orders right. Sometimes he even gives me a discount."

Duck folded the paper and was about to place it in his pocket when he remembered that he was still in his pajamas. "Alright, just let me get dressed. Who wants to go with me?"

His open question to the group went unanswered even though he was sure that everyone could hear him (even Lexi and Slam who were already halfway out the door.)

"Well….anyone?"

Rev looked up from his speed washing to acknowledge him, "I'll-go-with-ya-Duck-I-just-need-another-minute-or-two-to-get-rid-of-some-of-these-stains-MAN-THEY'RE-STUBBORN!" With his outburst, Rev's eyes glew red as he furiously began scrubbing another stained dish with a frustrated yet determined look on his face. His arm had become a large red and black blur and the sponge he was holding must have been moving back and forth _at least_ ten reps a second (which is a lot if you think about it…)

Ace turned to Tech, "I think I betta go, too. Ya know, just in case…"

"Good call."

•••

"… I swear that guy isn't even human…..or…tasmanian. He's more like one gigantic stomach with hair!"

They had only been driving for a few minutes, but Duck had been talking almost non-stop since they left the tower. The three of them were driving in a car that was nick-named "Black Lightning XQ90", one of the many vehicles Tech had designed for the team. This particular car may not have been their fastest one, but it could easily hit 250mph in its fastest gear. With a sleek, yet powerful design that matched its name, it was easily the Loonatics' favorite road vehicle. For this situation, they were going to make use of the generous cargo space the car had available. Ace was at the wheel and Rev sat shotgun. Duck was enjoying a long and open backseat to himself and made it a point to stretch himself out as much as possible.

"I'm pretty sure he's adapted beyond the need for any other organs," Duck continued, "All he has is a stomach, and that's all he needs…"

"Hey, lay off Slam, will ya?" Ace interrupted, "I thought you guys were buddies..."

"Just because we're friends doesn't mean that I can't talk about him behind his back. In fact, it's my_ right_, _as his friend_, to point out his flaws."

"Well you should consida' yourself lucky he held out as long as he did. It was yer own fault for startin' a speech when ya should've been fillin' yer plate."

"Sorry, Ace, I refuse to believe that any of this is my fault."

"Are you gonna be like this tha whole time, Duck?"

"Well, not if you give me something to _eat_ like I _asked_…"

"I told ya, pal. We don't have time ta be makin' pit stops."

"Says _who?_"

In response, Ace turned to the navigator next to him, "Got it all figured out yet, Rev?"

Rev's eyes were glowing red as he held his fingers to his head in deep concentration. For the past minute or so, he had been using his natural GPS and tracking abilities to act as their own personal navigation system.

"Aaaaannnddd…..got it!" The lights in his eyes pulsated once as if to signal that he had gathered everything he needed. "According-to-my-calculations-Acme-Techware-Store-is-located-approximately-44.2-km-north-and-18.9-km-east-of-the-tower-and-the-quickest-and-best-possible-route-puts-us-at-about-53-km-or-33-miles-away-from-our-destination-and-judging-by-the-current-traffic-conditions-road-markings-speed-limits-and-our-current-speed-we-should-get-there-in-about-20-to-25-minutes-ideal-conditions-permitting-and-assuming-that-conditions-are-the-same-on-the-way-home-and-alloting-us-a-15-to-20-minute-stop-at-the-techware-store-I-calculate-that-we'll-be-back-home-in-about-one-hour. To-start-off-Ace-take-Freeway-Exit-473A-to-the-lower-highway-which-should-be-coming-up-on-our-right-in-about-58.7-seconds." His eyes returned to normal.

Ace turned back to Duck, "Says Rev."

"Incredible…" Duck mumbled, almost to himself.

"What? Rev's powas, or tha fact that I'm right?"

"…the fact that we must be going at least 100mph and it's _still_ gonna take us 20 minutes to get there. I swear this city is way too big for its own good. How're we supposed to pass the time?"

"Hmmmm… we-could-play-some-kind-of-road-game-like… 'I Spy' or-something…" Rev suggested, though not particularly eagerly.

"_Or…"_ Duck suggested, "Ace here could let _me_ take the wheel…"

"Oh no…" Ace quickly responded, "You're no good wit' fast cars. I don't think I need ta remind ya about what happened last time…"

"Hey, if that lady didn't want to almost get run over, she shouldn't have been standing in the middle of the road like that!"

"She was a crossing guard….. We were in a school zone."

"That's not how I remember it." Duck responded firmly as if that somehow made him right.

"We could just have a conversation ya know," Ace said, returning to the original topic, "nuttin' wrong with gettin' ta know yer own teammates betta."

"Yeah, so what do you propose we talk about then?" Duck questioned unethusiastically.

"Well…..let's see…..eh…." Ace fumbled around in his mind a bit looking for something relevant, "…hmmm…..how about… (*snaps his fingers*) what Zadavia was sayin'? Ya, we all got tha day off, rememba? Whattya guys got planned?"

"Duh, Ace," the mallard responded as if Ace had asked a stupid question, "we're all going to the festival today, _remember?_ Are you sure you're brain's working okay? Maybe I should drive-"

"I've got it, Duck," Ace interrupted flatly, his voice starting to get annoyed. He elaborated, "I was talkin' about what you guys wanna do _at_ the festival with all our new free time. There must be tons of stuff goin' on tonight."

Rev's voice sprang to life, "Oh-man-oh-man-I-can't-WAIT-to-get-to-the-festival-I-just-love-all-the-sights-and-the-sounds-and-all-the-excitement-in-the-air-and-I-can't-wait-to-get-on-all-the-RIDES-like-the-one-that-spins-round-and-round-and-round-and-round-really-fast…or-the-one-that-makes-you-go-_all_-the-way-upside-down-and-keeps-you-there…and-then-there's-the-roller-coaster-that-goes-really-really-_really-_high-before-it-sends-you-back-down-to-the-ground-_really_-fast-like-WHOOOOSHH! HAHA-I'M-SO-EXCITED!"

Ace answered as politely as he could, "As fun as that sounds Rev, I don't think this is gonna be one a _those_ kinds of festivals. This one's more like one a those festivals that's filled with booths and games, and prizes. I'm sure there'll be a few rides, but I probably wouldn't be gettin' my hopes up for a rolla-coasta…"

"Oh."

It wasn't very noticeable, but it sounded like Rev's voice dropped _just a hair_ when he got this new piece of information. More than likely, it didn't mean anything serious, but Ace couldn't help but feel a little guilty for disappointing him like that.

"Well, I don't know about rides," Duck spoke up, "but everyone knows you only go to things like this for the food! Just think of all the tasty grub they're bound to have waiting for us! Corn dogs… barbecue sandwiches… snow cones…!"

Rev was given something new to be excited about, "Curly-fries-and-corn-on-the-cob…!"

"Huge slices of pizza and cheeseburgers…!"

"Cotton-candy-and-caramel-apples…!"

"All the things they can put on a stick…!"

"Those-frozen-lemonade-things-they-sell-in-those-big-colorful-cups…!"

"Anything with the word '_fried'_ in front of it…!"

"And funnel cakes!" The two of them finished in unison with a dreamy, hungry sigh. They both laughed.

"I gotta admit, that does sound pretty good." Ace spoke up, "I'll make sure to join you guys at tha food court later… but foist, I've got something I gotta take care of…"

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"I'm supposed ta meet up with someone that I haven't seen in a while. Someone _very_ special…"

"Oh, _someone special_, eh?" Duck repeated with a sudden spark of interest. "This special someone wouldn't happen to be a _girl_,would it?"

"…Well…"

"AHA! I knew it!" Duck proudly accused, "You've got a _special little lady_ that you've been keeping secret from us, don't you? A _girlfriend_ perhaps?"

"You didn't let me finish-"

"You didn't have to finish," Ace was promptly interrupted, "because you hesitated! And then, you didn't deny it! In my book, that automatically means 'yes'. Case closed. I win." Duck's voice was reminiscent of a kid on the playground who was sure he had outsmarted someone. "_Oooooohhh,_ I wonder what _Lexi_ would think if she heard about this…"

By this point in time, Ace had become used to brushing off Duck's occasional remarks concerning him and Lexi, and how they _must_ have something going between them simply because they spent a lot of time together. But for some reason, the comment caught him off guard, and he couldn't help but hesitate for a second before responding.

"For the _umpteenth_ time, Duck," he finally responded, "Lexi and I aren't dating. We're just friends. Also, I can assure you that tha woman I'm meetin' at tha festival isn't my goilfriend, either."

"Oh yeah? Well then who is she?

Ace decided to turn the tables on the whole exchange, "Well, I _was_ gonna tell ya… but I don't like that tone a yours, so I guess I'll just keep it to myself…"

The pride in Duck's voice dropped, "What? Aww come on, that's not fair! You _gotta_ tell me!"

Ace threw a wink at Rev who was stifling a laugh. "Sorry," he said simply.

The mallard groaned in disappointment before mumbling a final protest, "Fine, be that way! It's not like I haven't already figured it out…"

"Honestly, Duck, you act as if a goilfriend is tha only person I could be meetin'. God forbid it's just a _friend_ or a _family member_ who just wants to see me on such a big day…"

"Turn-right-here-Ace…" Rev interjected to put Ace's thoughts back on track before he missed his exit.

"Thanks, Rev. I guess I let my mind get away from me fer a second there…"

"No-problem-Ace. Your-next-turn-will-be-another-right-in-about-46.3-seconds…"

"Got it." After confirming with Rev, he decided to return to the conversation, "So what about you guys, then? I'm sure you guys got friends or family that're comin' ta see ya."

"Well…" Rev began, "My-parents-did-say-they-were-gonna-come-to-the-festival-a-while-back… but-then-they-called-me-a-few-days-ago-and-told-me-that-something-came-up-and-that-they-wouldn't-be-able-to-make-it…"

"Did they say what it was that came up?" Ace pursued.

"Kinda," Rev's voice had slowed down a bit by this point, "Pop-didn't-go-into-the-details-but-he-did-say-that-he-and-mom-were-going-to-a-big-company-meeting-about-selling-one-of-their-new-patents-or-something-like-that. He-said-that-it-was-really-important-and-that-there-was-no-way-around-it-but-I'm-pretty-sure-they-could've-rescheduled-or-something…"

"That company a theirs really keeps 'em busy, huh?"

Rev nodded.

Duck decided to add his two cents, "And to think, if you hadn't been at the right place at the right time when that comet hit, you'd be wearin' ties and twistin' screwdrivers with your old man right now instead of hanging with us and doing real _action hero_ stuff!"

Rev managed a small smile, "Yeah. My-dad's-been-trying-to-get-me-into-the-family-business-ever-since-I-was-a-kid. I-mean-I-do-like-making-inventions-and-working-with-my-hands-and-all-but-I-would've-probably-just-ended-up-with-some-boring-desk-job-anyway… Besides-I'm much-happier-fighting-crime-with-you-guys. Even-though-my-parents-still-aren't-all-that-crazy-about-the-whole-idea…"

"It still woulda been nice for 'em ta come…" Ace mentioned.

"Well-it's-not-all-bad," Rev noted, perking up some more, "they-did-send-me-this-card-that-I-got-this-morning!"

Rev pulled out a small card he was carrying in one of his larger uniform pouches and showed it to his teammates. The front looked pretty standard: a parchment-colored cardstock with the word "Congratulations!" written in big, velvet-red lettering. In the lower right corner, a pen had scribbled "From Mom, Pop, and Rip" which seemed unusual as signatures were usually reserved for the _inside_ of the card. However, they found the reason for this when they actually opened it. It seemed as though every last square inch of space (on the inside as well as the back) was covered in the same black, scribbled handwriting. Duck squinted his eyes for a few seconds, trying to make it out, but quickly gave up. Ace could only manage a few glances at the card since he was trying to stay focused on the road, but he did manage to make out a few words and phrases. There were things he expected, like "dead-end job," "family business," and a less-than-appealing-statement about Tech ("that coyote" as he was referred to.) But among that, he also found things like, "always made us proud," "miss you at home (even Rip)," and the standard "love you very much." Collectively, it was enough to calm most of his concerns on the whole issue.

"Your dad _writes_ how _you_ talk." Duck commented as Rev put away his card with a laugh.

"So what about you Duck?" Ace asked, redirecting the conversation. "You got any family stoppin' by?"

There was a short pause before his answer was given, "_As if!_ My parents never really gave a rat's ass about me."

The bluntness of Duck's reply surprised his teammates. His tone hadn't changed from its usual heightened confidence, but his words suddenly weren't so light. Ace glanced in his rearview mirror and saw that he had assumed his "position". He had leaned back slightly in his seat and his eyes were closed. His head was tilted downward slightly and was resting against his arms which were folded up behind his neck. Thanks to his optimistic and prideful personality, it didn't show up very often, but Duck had the tendency to assume this particular position whenever he was dealing with more serious subject matter, particularly when it involved him or his own personal issues. If someone were to see him in such a position, they might be led to assume that Duck was just lost in thought and simply thinking carefully before speaking, but the team knew full-well that Duck wasn't exactly the self-reflective type. No, his position rather suggested that he simply found little to no interest in the topic being discussed and would rather not spend time dwelling on it. It was as if he was withdrawing himself from the conversation until something more interesting came up, only saying what he felt was necessary.

As much as it concerned Ace, he knew that he wouldn't get anywhere by playing "psychiatrist" with him, not that he particularly wanted to. Eventually, he settled on assuming the role of a "peacemaker".

"Aww, come on, man." He spoke lightly, "I'm sure you're just exaggerating…"

"Hmmm… not really," Duck answered bluntly, eyes still withdrawn. "They were fine parents for the first few years after adopting me, but then they started getting caught up in their _careers_. I think they finally stopped caring once I had grown out of being a 'cute little kid'. Sometimes, it seemed like they only times they ever paid _any_ attention to me were when I got into trouble…"

"Eh, why do I get tha feelin' that _that_ explains a lot about ya?"

Duck simply shrugged his shoulders, apparently deciding that this was one of those questions that he could avoid. He had said too much already.

"Well, Duck," Ace decided to end on a more optimistic note, "whateva tha case may be, I just want ya ta know that you can always count on us…"

"Uh, Ace…" Rev began.

"Just a second, Rev…" He went back to Duck, "'Cuz ya know, I always considered the six of _us_ to be sorta like a family… so maybe that can be just as good, ya know?" There was a pause. "And if ya want, _I_ can be your Dad," he added jokingly, "how does that sound, buddy?"

Duck didn't respond, but instead threw a small smirk at the window, as if he was about to smile but caught himself just in time and laughed it off. It wasn't much, but the leader readily accepted it. Considering just how much _cheese_ he had put into his words, he was mostly thankful that Duck wasn't making fun of him for it. That had to mean something, right?

"So anyways, what were you gonna say, Rev?"

"… you-missed-the-turn."

•••

Lexi stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"_Am I finished already..?"_ she thought to herself.

She hadn't taken nearly as long as she assumed she would to get ready. She had taken her time in a long, hot shower… she had taken her time making sure her hair looked good… but that was about it. She remembered how it used to take her _at least_ an hour in front of the mirror before she could see herself as "pretty enough to hit the town." But now, a full hour hadn't even gone by since breakfast, and she figured she must have been staring at her reflection for the past fifteen minutes.

"_Is there nothing else I can do?"_

After a moment, she decided to open her cosmetic drawer to see if there was anything that could catch her attention. Back in her old life, she devoted incredible amounts of time towards her appearance, but as time went by (particularly after first moving into the tower) she found that she was making less and less use of her inventory. That fact became even clearer to her now when she realized that she had forgotten what many of the products were supposed to be used for in the first place.

"_Ughh, did I really used to use all this stuff?"_

The superficial thought almost disgusted her. She rummaged through countless bottles and tubes, but found almost nothing that she honestly thought was necessary. She cared about her appearance, but certainly not _this_ much. In fact, she felt embarrassed that she had ever found use for all of it. The thought of plastering herself together like a Barbie doll was very unappealing to her, but she figured that she had to use _something_ extra (it was a special occasion, after all.) After a moment, she settled on some eyeliner which successfully managed to eat up about two minutes. The boredom returned quickly, but this time she refused to apply anything else.

"_It'll still be a little bit before Ace and the others get back..."_

She was suddenly removed from her thoughts when she heard what sounded like a small thud coming from below her. Sensing an opportunity, she began to pursue the source as her eyes glew pink, tapping into the hyper-sensitive capabilities of her ears. She traced the reverberations downward and found that the noise had come from an area a few floors below her own. She tuned in to the area, and quickly picked up the sound of voices.

"…why we can't have nice things."

"Ssaawwreee…"

"Don't worry about it. Here, I've got something better for you to do, anyway!"

"_Oh, that's right! Tech and Slam are still here," _Lexi thought to herself as she set her ears back to normal hearing levels (normal hearing levels for her were still about twice as sensitive as a normal person's.) _"Slam must be helping Tech in his laboratory… I wonder what they could be up to…"_

She took another look at her reflection, _"Whatever it is, it's gotta be more interesting than this."_

With that last bit of reasoning, she got up from her chair and left the room.

The layout of Loonatics HQ was actually fairly simple despite its unusual outside structure, with most of the team's activities taking place in the central, hovering sphere. The bottom and top of the sphere each held a "dispatchment" floor where the team would leave for missions that required them to travel by air. The top floor was particularly larger than the bottom one because it also served as a storage center for their small to medium-size aircrafts, complete with its own miniature runway. Sandwiched between these two floors were three general floors for the team. The highest of these held the team's bedrooms as well as a few guest rooms (this is where Lexi was now.) The floor below it was the official 125th floor of the tower and the main living area for the team. It consisted of the kitchen and dining area on one end that was connected to the main lounge area where the team spent most of their time. This was also the floor that guests were automatically directed to when visiting the tower. The floor below that held both a game room and an exercise/fitness area (which, admittedly, Slam used more often than any of his teammates.) The remaining floors were held in the actual tower itself. The highest of these was where the primary laboratory was located. It held several individual workshops where Tech would work on his smaller and average-sized weapons and gadgets. These rooms also surrounded a large central computer room that served as the control center for the entire HQ. It was also where the team could freely conduct surveillance, communication, and research operations. The training and combat center was directly below that and was the height of two average floors. The holographic fight simulator on this level was a much preferred form of exercise and training when compared to the fitness room. Lexi was heading to the floor below that, which was the site of Tech's second laboratory. This one set itself apart from the primary lab in the fact that it was only a single room that was built more in the style of a garage-warehouse and was the height of four average floors. This was where Tech built his much bigger projects such as vehicles and large-scale equipment. It made sense that the noises seemed to be coming from this level, seeing as Tech _was_ working on an amusement park ride. The hundred-odd floors below that were used primarily for storing whatever Tech built in his 2nd lab as well as for housing the tower's energy and structural equipment. All of it led to the massive garage on the ground floor used mainly for dispatching road vehicles into the city. The garage also doubled as a sort of "Grand Foyer" upon entering the HQ where one could access any and all of the other floors (assuming you were authorized to do so.) All in all, Zadavia had really set them up nicely with such a construction.

The elevator doors opened up on the 122nd floor of the tower, revealing a large circular hallway. Fortunately, Lexi didn't have to walk far, as the main entrance to lab was almost directly in front of the elevator. She approached the keypad, intending to unlock it with the required access code, but was surprised when the doors opened automatically at her presence.

"_That's strange,"_ she thought, _"Tech usually keeps the doors closed…"_

As she walked in, she noticed that the room wasn't very well-lit and the only thing she could clearly make out was a small flashing of light and sparks coming from the left-side-center of the room. After walking a few steps in that direction, however, the image became clearer. The sparks were coming from a welding torch that Tech was using on a large sheet of metal.

"Door's unlocked!" Lexi announced as she continued walking towards her teammate. Upon hearing her voice, Tech put out the flame, pulled up his goggles and turned to her.

"And you just barge in here _because…_?" he asked lightly.

"Because I figured you wouldn't mind, seeing as how you usually keep the pass-code lock on the door," she stated matter-of-factly.

"I figured since it was just the three of us here at the tower right now, there wasn't much reason for me to be a 'shut-in' and keep them locked."

"So _now _you're worried about being a shut-in?" she teased.

"Well, yes and no. I mostly thought that since both Duck and Rev are out of the tower, that it was safe enough for me to keep the doors unlocked," he joked back.

"Oh yeah, I see what you mean." They both laughed.

"So anyway, what brings _you_ down here?"

"Oh, nothing much. I just kinda ran out of things to do and decided to drop by and see what you were up to. Plus, I heard a loud noise that sounded like it came from down here. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, no need to worry. Slam was just helping me move stuff when he accidentally knocked some of my equipment over. Fortunately, nothing was broken, so I just found him something else to do."

"Speaking of which, where is Slam?"

Tech turned around and pointed upward. "He's up _there!_"

The object behind him was so massive that she wondered how she had failed to notice it before, even with the lights being dimmed. The object must've stood _at least_ 50 ft. tall and looked to be almost like a smaller version of a Ferris wheel, carrying a total of 12 passenger pods. Each of the pods held 4 individual seats (that each had an _unusual _amount of safety restraints than what you would normally see on your _average_ Ferris wheel.) The walls of the pods were triangular in shape, and the four walls met underneath to form a kind of upside-down pyramid. The main wheel itself sported a giant upside-down triangle (the team's logo) in the center with large lightning bolts branching out from behind it.

After Lexi had taken a second to survey the impressive structure, she looked in the direction of Tech's finger, and noticed that the front wall of the highest pod was missing, revealing Slam to be crouched down inside. It looked like he was working diligently on something around the missing wall.

"HEY SLAM!" Lexi shouted upwards. Slam turned to face her, sending a smile, a wave, and a greeting growl back down. "What's he doing all the way up there?" she asked the coyote.

"He's making sure that all the nuts and bolts are tight enough. I mean, magnetic powers are good and all, but they're still not a match for the manpower that Slam has."

"So I'm guessing he was bored too?"

"Haha, yeah. He's been down here trying to help me in whatever way he could for the past thirty minutes or so. He might be a little reckless and clumsy sometimes, but he really is a nice guy underneath, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lexi said with a smile as Tech put his goggles back on and went back to his welding. "So _this _is what you've been working on, huh?" she asked after a moment.

"Yep! Pretty cool, huh?"

"I'll say. That thing is _huge!_ But why do I get the feeling that it isn't just an ordinary Ferris wheel?"

"That would be because it _isn't_ just an ordinary Ferris wheel."

"So, what else does it do?"

"Upp, upp!" Tech stopped her. "You'll find out when I'm done."

"Come on, _seriously?_"

"Yes, seriously."

"But, you can tell me_,_ can't you? _Pretty please…_" Lexi pleaded.

"You know I don't like to show off my work until it's finished," Tech insisted as he finished welding, "Besides, I couldn't show it to you right now anyway. Duck's out getting the battery I need, so this is pretty much useless until he gets back."

"But that doesn't stop you from just _telling_ me what it does…"

"Sorry," he replied coolly while putting away his equipment, "but a magician never reveals his secrets."

"But you're not a magician, you're a _scientist_," she pointed out. "And last I checked, those two were on opposite ends of the spectrum."

Tech took a few steps in the direction of the wheel. "Oh yeah, then what do you call _this?_" His eyes immediately glew green as his hands began to radiate a greenish aura. He held out his arm and shot a stream of the magnetic green energy directly at the sheet of metal he had just finished welding, causing it to hover close by him in midair. With his other hand, he shot a similar stream of energy directly at his feet, causing them both to glow while also forming what looked like a green transparent platform directly beneath them. With one hand still holding the sheet metal, and the other pointed toward the ground, the platform began rising slowly until the coyote had reached the level of the highest pod. He pulled the sheet of metal closer to the pod and carefully positioned it in place to reveal it as the missing wall. While holding the wall carefully in place, he stopped the flow of energy to his feet (though it didn't affect his levitation) and used his freed hand to shoot another stream of energy at something inside the pod itself. Lexi and Slam watched as Tech magnetically maneuvered a number of various screws, nuts, bolts, hinges, and levers into their assigned positions to successfully install what appeared to be the pod's door. Once he had finished, he relinquished energy flow to the pod and refocused energy back into the platform below his feet, lowering himself back to the ground where the platform disappeared and he deactivated his powers.

"_Flashy_ science?" Lexi responded cleverly to Tech's previous question.

Tech laughed at the comment before turning back to his 'assistant' up above. "Alright Slam, I could only put the screws in about halfway, so make sure everything's screwed in nice and tight okay?" Slam sent an enthusiastic growl back down along with what looked like a thumbs up.

"Well, magic or not, that little trick was pretty impressive," Lexi added. "How come I've never seen that one before?"

"Honestly, I've had that technique up my sleeve for a while now. It's just that I haven't found a very practical use for it outside of the lab yet, let alone a battlefield."

"How'd you do it?"

"Simple. It all has to do with the electric field," Tech began with the usual enthusiasm he gave to his scientific explanations. "Elementary physics states that when two objects have the same charge, they will naturally repel each other, and that a positive charge is naturally repulsive. Since my magnetism allows me to manipulate an object's charge, I can use this to my advantage. By creating a magnetic barrier for me to stand on, and by building up large amounts of positive charge in both the barrier and the ground directly below it, I can create a repulsive magnetic force that can propel me into the air, and by manipulating the magnitude of those charges, I can control both the acceleration and the resulting distance that the platform is pushed."

"Oh yeah… I think I get it!" Lexi hadn't been in college for a full year before joining the Loonatics, but she was lucky enough to have taken a General Physics class during her first semester (if you would call it lucky.) So, she actually felt a little proud of herself when she realized that she could actually understand Tech's explanation. It was a nice change of pace from his usual over-complicated scientific diagnostics that often went _way_ over her head (as well as everyone else's.) Rev was the only other member who could usually follow what Tech said in those instances, but there were things that even took _him_ for a loop.

"Alright, now I just have to do some last-minute tweaking with the on-board computer system, and then I should be all set…" Tech sat down in a chair positioned in front of a set of computer monitors and immediately got to work. Lexi watched as Tech's hands started dancing almost robotically on the keyboard. All sorts of symbols, codes, and diagrams would pop onto the screen, but Tech would analyze them, evaluate them, and input an appropriate response with a speed that rivaled that of Rev's speech. Lexi could only watch him for a few seconds before she realized that it was starting to make her head spin. In an effort to stop it, she turned her focus back to the Ferris wheel, but when she started thinking about _that_, it only made her head spin faster.

"_He really built something like that in **one** day…"_ she thought to herself. When it came to Tech, Lexi had somewhat mixed feelings. On one hand, it seemed like the coyote couldn't go a full day without spending _at least_ half of it in his lab, and his more-than-occasional speeches about his inventions were really starting to bore her (almost to the point of annoyance.) To be honest, she saw Tech as somewhat of a shut-in who likely cared more about his gadgets than he did other people. But, there was also something else about Tech that argued against her more negative feelings: the fact that he actually got results. Tech was practically a genius…. no, scratch that, he _was_ a genius. Almost every vehicle, weapon, program, or piece of technology the Loonatics had at their disposal had been thought up, designed, and constructed by Tech himself (sometimes with Rev's help, of course.) It seemed like he was capable of accomplishing anything that he set his mind to and was willing to do whatever it took to reach his goals. Tenacity like that deserved to be respected, at least to some degree. And besides, she knew that Tech could really be a cool and interesting person when he wasn't too invested in his work.

Still, looking at him now only stirred up more and more questions in her head, the same questions that had stayed unanswered in her head for the longest time. After debating the thought for a moment, she decided that now would be as good a time as any other…

"Hey Tech," she finally asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" Tech answered without turning from his work.

She paused, "Why are you so smart?"

Tech gave a small laugh, only taking the question at face-value. "What do you mean by that?"

She elaborated, "I mean… you have got to be, like, the smartest guy I know. It's amazing how much you know about things like science and technology. I guess what I'm trying to ask is… were you just born that way… or was it something you had to work at?"

There was a pause as Tech figured out how to respond. "Well… I'd be lying if I didn't say that a lot of it is probably genetic. In fact, my family bloodline has had an impressive share of bright minds."

"Really? How so?"

It became clear that Tech had actually taken the time to research his family tree. "Over the past century and a half, my family has had… 5 scientists… 3 doctors… 6 inventors… 12 professors… about 3 or 4 engineers… and a number of other things, like physicists, archeologists, and computer programmers. I suppose that I was just lucky enough to run into the inheritance."

"That's pretty cool," Lexi said encouragingly. It wasn't quite what she was looking for, but at least they were headed in the right direction…

"Yeah, it is. _But_ I'd also be lying if I said that I never worked at it. Whenever I realized that I was a 'smart kid', I really started to become invested in my schooling. I always strived to do my best whenever it came to my classes, and I always took my studies pretty seriously, all the way up through grad school even. Back in college, I used to have people come up to me all the time, students _and_ professors, who would joke and say that I should really learn to take a break once in a while….. I guess I just had a lot of time on my hands…"

_There it was!_ Lexi was hoping that she had asked the right question, and fortunately it seemed like she had. Tech had finally given her something she could work with. "What do you mean?" she pursued.

Tech had actually stopped typing by this point, leaving the room with a strange and almost anxious silence. It was a safe bet that he had something on his mind that was dominant enough to keep him from multi-tasking. He knew what was coming, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.

"Lexi," he finally spoke, "do I really have to-" He stopped mid-sentence when he looked over at the bunny and found that she had actually pulled up a chair. She sat down, crossed her legs, and gave him a look that seemed to say, '_of course you do'_. Her eyes were unrelenting and determined, but at the same time patient and tolerating. He knew that there was no way to change her mind when she was like this, so there was no use in trying.

With a conceding sigh, he turned back in the direction of the monitors (he would feel better if he wasn't actually facing her) and crossed his arms in front of him. He tilted his head downward and closed his eyes. This was Tech's "position" and it was actually quite similar to Duck's, aside from the way they held their arms. The rest of the team took notice that both of them would usually retreat into these so-called "positions" whenever they were confronted with something personal (though they would never admit to having anything in common.) However, there was one major factor, other than arm carriage, that separated the two of them in this aspect: mentality. While Duck would usually send out an air of passivity and disinterest, Tech's seemed to be much more self-reflective. It was as if he meditated silently over every strong feeling or branded memory that was locked inside of his head before speaking. He seemed like he was making every effort to choose his words carefully and make sure than anything he would decide to admit was honest and true. This case was no exception and the coyote made sure to avoid saying too much.

"It's just that…" he spoke slowly, "I've never really been that much of a social person, you know? I never really had many friends at all… In fact, even when I was a little kid, I would spend more time doing things on my own that I would spend going out and making friends."

"How come?" Lexi's words were pushing, but encouraging.

"I don't know…" he took another pause to think, "I guess I just never really felt like I fit in with the other kids. Sure, it was fine for the first couple of years…but then my interested started to change. While everyone else wanted to go outside and play tag or kickball on the playground during lunch, I was more interested in sneaking into a computer or a chemistry lab and fiddling with whatever little idea that had popped into my mind _that_ day…"

Tech smirked at the thought, "I was such a strange little kid back then…." he paused. "After a while, the other kids started noticing what I was up to and it didn't take long for them to start making fun of me for it. Pretty soon, it became really hard for me to make _any_ friends…. After a while…. I suppose I just stopped trying…"

There was a small pause. "College was a little better," he resumed, "because I felt like it gave me a fresh start, and I found that I could relate to people a lot better than I could in High School. But, even then, I found it really hard to connect with people just because I had spent so much time on my own, you know? I guess I just got used to the whole idea…" He paused again, thinking about what he just said. "All I ever really wanted was to fit in….. but I was just so… _different_ than everyone else… I guess that's what made it so difficult."

While he was talking, Lexi's eyes had somehow found their way to the ground. But, when he had finished, Lexi decided to take another look at her teammate. She had never seen this side of him before and while she was grateful that he had shared as much as he did, she was intrigued to know even more. What exactly had he gone through to make him give up on his social life like that? There were still questions burning inside her, but by looking at him, she could tell that he had already said pretty much everything he was going to say at this point, not that she blamed him. In fact, she almost felt like she understood.

"Actually Tech, I know exactly what you mean."

"Hmmm…?" he voiced with intrigue. That was definitely not the kind of response he was expecting.

"You were saying how hard it was for you to fit in because of how different you felt. I think I can relate…"

"What? _YOU?_" Tech asked with exaggerated disbelief. "_Miss Popularity herself_… actually had social problems growing up…? I find that hard to believe…"

Lexi smiled softly, "Well it's _partly_ true. High School was the easy part for me. My old school district had its Elementary, Middle, and High Schools all in the same place, so the class that I ended up walking across the stage with at graduation was almost the exact same class I had started Kindergarten with. I guess I really am just a naturally social person at heart, because it was easy for me to make friends when I was a kid. I was practically a friend to everyone and a lot of those friendships stayed with me as I grew up. You are right about one thing though, I _did_ start falling in with the 'popular' crowd by the time I reached High School. I still like to think that I was a little more 'three-dimensional' than your average stereotypically popular teenager, but they did rub off on me. By the time senior year rolled around, I'm pretty sure my thoughts didn't see anything besides boys, fashion, or whatever came up on my cell phone."

They both laughed.

"College was where it all changed for me," Lexi continued after a moment. "Only a few of my friends actually went to the same school that I did, so it was almost like starting over completely. Since I never really had the need to make _new_ friends in High School, I found it unusually hard to meet new people in college. I really wanted to, but I guess I just didn't know how to start… Plus, the demographics at Acme U didn't help me out any…"

"Is it really as bad as they say?" Tech knew what she was referring to.

"Well… it _is _a bit exaggerated, but not by much. I actually looked up the official numbers, and as it turns out, anthros only make up about 2% of the entire student body."

"Really?" Tech was mildly surprised, "that's only 1 for every 50 humans. Even if it's not as bad as what they say, that's still a pretty low number…"

"I mean," Lexi began explaining, "it's not like there was any discrimination thing going on; for the most part, people were pretty tolerant and accepting. But, it was still really unnerving, you know? Whenever you've been at the school for almost a full year and the only time you see others like you is during the occasional walk around campus, and you only had _one_ class with only _one_ anthro in it… it can really make you feel out of place. Regardless of the way other people actually feel about you, if you feel so disconnected from the people around you… it can really affect your confidence…"

The room went silent for a little bit. Tech felt obligated to respond in some way. "Did you ever try to get involved in anything? You know, like an organization or a sports team or something?"

She thought for a second, "Well… I actually did try one thing…. But it didn't really work out…"

Her words hung in the air for a moment and Tech really didn't know how to respond. A part of him wanted to ask her what exactly she had tried, but she didn't seem very eager to share at the moment. Besides, he wasn't the type to pry and he didn't want to put even more emotion in the already weighted air. Since he could identify with what she had told him, he decided to go with something more encouraging.

"Well… at least the past is behind us, right? The way I see it, it's not whether or not you fall down, it's whether or not you decide to get back up." He gave her a small, close-eyed smile. Lexi looked at him for a second, digesting his words, before she returned the expression.

Tech went back to work on his keyboard and Lexi went back to her thoughts. Until now, she had never thought that she could have much in common with the coyote, but now that she knew otherwise, it was comforting. She continued to watch him work for another moment or two before she noted that it wasn't making her head spin anymore (well, not as much.) She no longer felt a distance or overwhelming feeling while watching him work. Now she was feeling something new….. was it admiration? Yes, she supposed it was. Admiration….. and gratitude…. for forming a new connection with her teammate.

•••

"…and that should just about do it!" Tech said conclusively while pressing one final key. He and Lexi had kept up small talk for the past several minutes while Tech finished his adjustments.

"So that means you're all caught up?" Lexi asked.

"Yep! The system should be fully operational once we plug in that battery."

"Good, 'cuz I'm dying to see what something like that is capable of!" She laughed, "Speaking of battery, when are the guys supposed to be getting back?"

"I don't know," he thought for a moment, "I figured that they should've been back by now. It never takes me longer than an hour at most when I pick something up myself. It's already been almost an hour and a half."

"I wonder what's keeping them?" she wondered with a slight hint of concern, "I hope they're okay."

"_Oh_, I wouldn't worry about it, Lexi," Tech's voice picked up a mocking tone, "I'm sure _Ace_ will be back in your arms before you know it…"

"_Not this again…"_ Lexi thought before arguing back. "You really think that same old tease is going to get to me _this_ time?"

Tech laughed, "I don't know. It's worth a shot at least."

"Honestly, both you _and_ Duck must think I'm an easy target or something. I don't even know where you guys get that idea…. I mean, it's not like I'm practically jumping at the sound of his voice…"

_"What's up, Docs!"_

The familiar catchphrase rang dominantly throughout the room immediately after the lab doors swung open. Lexi jumped from the unexpected noise and fell from her chair. Tech gave her a look of pure amusement.

"Oh Ace, what a coincidence," he answered, "we were just talking about you…"

Ace slowly walked in the lab toward his teammates. He was carrying a medium-size box. "Really? What about?" he asked.

"O-oh, n-nothing…" Lexi stammered nervously while trying to get back on her feet, mentally cursing herself for not noticing Ace's presence sooner with her hearing, "nothing at all!"

Ace set the box down a few feet away from them and looked like he was about to say something else when a large thud from behind them shook the floor. The group turned around to see that Slam had jumped from the top of the wheel to the ground before them and was now running to his teammates.

"Hey Slam!" Ace greeted him. Before he could react otherwise, the Tasmanian scooped the leader off of his feet and held him in the air in a Herculean embrace, jabbering excitedly. "Feels like _someone's_ in a good mood today…" the bunny managed to remark with an increasingly tight breath.

Thankful for the distraction, Lexi shot a death-glare at Tech that seemed to say, "_Thanks for making me look stupid!"_ and elbowed him in the arm. The jab hurt more than he expected, but he still couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on Lexi, you know I'm just messing with you…" he said lightly to her as he took a few steps closer to the others. Lexi softened her features a bit. She knew that Tech probably meant what he said. At least he wasn't like _Duck_, who honestly seemed to believe himself every time he brought up the idea of her and Ace having _some_ kind of relationship. Tech surely knew better, he was just poking fun. Besides, Slam had successfully shifted the conversation away from her falling out of a chair, so there really wasn't a reason for her to be embarrassed anymore.

And, in retrospect, she would've found it hilarious had the same thing happened to any of the guys. So for now, she set her emotions aside and decided that she _wouldn't_ kill Tech…

…this time.

"I like ya too, Slam…" Ace struggled to speak as the muscleman had yet to soften his hold, "…but I'm also fond of my ribcage…"

The Tasmanian finally realized what he doing and relinquished his death-hold on the bunny. "Hehe, sawree…" he said sheepishly. Ace took a second to smooth out the newly acquired kinks in his arms and shoulders.

"So, I'm guessing you found everything alright?" Tech asked him, referring to the box he had brought in.

"Yes sir! It took a little longa than we thought, but we got yer… uh…. thing."

"You mean my _battery?_"

"I dunno. I let Duck do all tha talkin'. I just drove him to tha store."

"So long as he's pulling his own weight. Where is he anyway? And Rev?"

As if on cue, the lab doors swung open once again and Rev zoomed inside towards the others carrying a medium-size box of his own. "Hey-Slam-hey-Lexi-hey-Tech! Sorry-we-took-so-long-it's-just-that-we-made-a-couple-of-wrong-turns-but-it's-okay-now-because-we-brought-back-the-super-cool-battery-you-needed-and-let-me-tell-you-Tech-it-is-a-_beauty!_ I-know-how-much-you've-been-wanting-one-of-these-and-I-just-know-you-won't-be-dissapointed-and-speaking-of-which-where-should-I-put-this?"

"Just set it next to Ace's. Thanks Rev!" Tech answered as the roadrunner put down his cargo.

"So now that just leaves Stooge #3…" Lexi remarked.

"Say Rev," Ace asked, "what's keepin' Duck?"

"I-don't-know-he-was-right-behind-me…"

The lab doors must have been waiting for key words to show up in their conversation, because the doors opened on cue once again, this time to reveal their missing teammate. Duck entered the room slowly as he was struggling to carry the weight of a box that was at least twice as large as the others.

"… (Huff) what's… in this thing…? (Huff) Bowling balls…!"

"There ya are, we were startin' ta get worried," Ace joked.

"…yeah, well that's all well and good… (Huff) but can I _please_ put this down now? (Strain) It's _really heavy…_"

"Alright Duck," Tech conceded, "I supposed you've done enough for now. You can just set it down where you are."

"THANK GOD!" the Duck burst out. He had only made it a few feet past the doors, but he immediately fell forward letting the box hit the ground and letting his body fall hunched over it. After a second, he managed to work up the energy to teleport (quack) himself into the chair Lexi had just gotten up from, slouched back lazily in an attempt to get his energy back.

"Now let me just make sure that we've got everything here…" Opening up Ace's box, he pulled out a black rectangular base that was about 2 inches thick and roughly the size of a TV tray. The top side was riddled with various ports and plugs. In Rev's box, he pulled out a long and thick main cable along with a variety of other smaller wires. To save effort, Tech shot a stream of magnetic energy at Duck's abandoned box and managed to pull out its only content. It was a large rectangular mass of metal painted black, riddled with all sorts of various buttons, knobs, indicators, and ports. The block had one end that was made of rounded glass with what looked like various wires and filaments inside. "Perfect, it looks like everything's here. Good work, guys!"

"Alright Tech," Ace asked curiously, "what's so special about this battery-thing a yours? What exactly does it do?"

"I'm glad you asked. This little number is known as a Kinetic Molecular Energy Generator. The battery itself contains a vast assortment of simple and stable molecular compounds. By using an initial electric current from an external source, we can excite the molecules into guided motion. As the compounds are moving in uniform centrifugal motion and interacting with each other, we can generate massive amounts of energy which can then be harnessed and used as a power source."

"Which means?"

Rev translated, "We-zap-the-molecules-to-make-them-move-in-circle-which-makes-the-battery-run."

"Precisely. I've wanted to test one of these out for the longest time, and building something like _this_ gave me the perfect excuse."

With that, the group's attention shifted towards the massive wheel that stood beside them. Everyone except Lexi and Slam were seeing it for the first time. "Alright then," Ace asked for the group, "so what does _that_ thing do?"

"Exactly what I wanted to know," Lexi added.

"Tell you what, how about I _show_ you all what it can do? I need to give it a test run, anyway." Tech promptly began to assemble the battery. He plugged the large main piece into its base, matching the ports up correctly, and connecting some of the smaller wires in various places. He then connected the large cable wire from the base of the battery to a large outlet in the laboratory wall.

"Before I can start it," he explained, "I need to build up a stored charge in the battery itself by tapping into the tower's main power grid. That way, the battery can use this reserve charge to excite the molecules every time it turns on."

With a quick keyboard command, the lights in the lab began to dim slightly as one of the electronic meters on the battery started filling with a lighted green bar. Once the meter was completely green and read 100%, Tech killed the power transfer and disconnected the wires, re-lighting the room.

"Okay," he continued enthusiastically, "let's hook this baby up and see what she can do!" Tech picked up the battery using his magnetic powers and walked up to the ride itself, with the rest of the team following closely behind. Duck was reluctant to get up from his chair, but since his breathing had returned to normal, he conceded to join the others. Once they had reached the main control panel for the ride, Tech opened one of the compartments and installed the battery using a few leftover wires.

"Here goes nothing…" With a simple button press, the battery slowly started coming to life. It emitted a high-pitched whistle sound that was slowly raising in pitch until it became inaudible, leaving only a variety of humming and vibration noises as the only sounds coming from the device. The glass end of the battery began to emit a small light that glew brighter and brighter as it turned from yellow to white. After giving it a second, Tech went up to the main control panel and flipped a switch, immediately activating a fantastic display of lights on the ride itself. The walls of each pod were completely lit up with one of the six colors of the team's uniforms (making 2 pods for each color.) Aside from the standard white lights that outlined the wheel's frame, the triangle in the center was also entirely lit and alternated between the six colors. The lightning bolts behind it were lighting up in a random, but choreographed sequence of neon-blue lights that started from the bases and flashed upwards towards the tips.

"Prreettyyy…." Slam, like the rest of the group, was in awe.

"Nice color scheme!" Lexi noted encouragingly.

"It grabs your attention, I'll give you that," Duck added simply.

The wheel had already begun turning slowly, but Ace knew that there had to be plenty more to see. "So what _else_ does it do?" he asked slyly. Lexi turned and smirked at the coyote since she had asked the same question earlier.

"You guys know me too well," Tech admitted as he flipped a switch to stop the ride just as a yellow pod arrived at the bottom, ready for passengers. "When I was trying to decide on what to make, I had all kinds of ideas in my head that I wanted to try out. But, since I could only make 1 ride, I decided that whatever I would wind up making needed to be versatile. That way, I could please a large variety of riders. So, with that in mind, I came up with this. I call it _The Loona-Loop v3_. It may _look_ like an ordinary Ferris wheel, but there are actually _three_ different ways that you can ride it, providing the passengers with three totally different and unique riding experiences, that _they themselves_ are actually in control of. To demonstrate this, as well as to give it a test run, I'm going to need a couple of volunteers…"

"Oh-me-me-me-pick-me-I-wanna-try!" Rev threw his hand up in the air as if his excited voice wasn't enough to get his friend's attention.

"I knew I could count on you, Rev," he said with contentment. "Go ahead and take a seat." Rev zoomed up to the loading platform and eagerly picked his spot. "Oh," Tech added, "and make sure you only use the seatbelt for right now. I want to test out some of the safety features."

"You-got-it!"

"Alright, now I just need one more person…"

After a quick second, Slam threw up his hand with a grin to volunteer and immediately stepped forward onto the platform.

"Thanks Slam."

"Uhh-huuhh!" the Tasmanian laughed as he took a seat opposite Rev.

"Okay, first things first. I'll need to activate the on-board computer system. Since the riders have a lot of control over their ride experience, I installed an intelligent sensory program that will always ensure the safety of the pod and its passengers."

With that explanation, Tech flipped a switch at the control panel, projecting a four-sided computer screen that hovered in mid-air in the center of the pod. A robotic female voice began to speak.

"_Ride requested… scanning for passengers… 2 passengers in seats 2 and 4 detected… all safety requirements met… default Mode '1' selected… awaiting 'start' command."_

"Technically, you can start off the ride in a different mode, but since I need to test how the pods transition between modes while the wheel is in motion, I'll start them off on the default setting."

With another flip of the switch, the ride eased into motion. "Oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy…" Rev could be heard saying as the pod slowly moved up and away. Once the wheel started moving at full speed, Slam could be heard laughing with anticipation.

Tech decided to let the ride make about 2 or 3 complete rotations before continuing. "Good, now that we know it works fine in Mode 1, let's kick it up a notch!" To avoid yelling over the ride, he spoke to both passengers via the built-in communication systems in their suits. "Hey Rev!"

"Yeah?"

"If you look on the side of your seat, you should find two buttons. Press the one that has the number '2' on it. If you can't see it, it's the bigger one."

"Roger-that-Tech!" It didn't take long for him to locate it, and pressing the button caused the robotic computer voice to re-appear.

_"Mode change requested… Mode '2' requested… awaiting confirmation from other passengers…"_ A diagram displaying the location of the button appeared on Slam's screen.

"Slam, you have to press the same button that Rev just pushed," Tech explained to them. "Since he requested a mode change, the computer wants to make sure that it's okay with the other passengers before beginning the safety check and starting the switch. So both of you just do exactly what the computer says, and everything should run smoothly."

"Oohhkie DoOhkie!" Slam bellowed as he pressed the button.

_"Confirmation received… analyzing safety features… please equip the following safety equipment…"_

With that prompt, a short list of safety features and their appropriate diagrams appeared on the screens before them and they both applied them as instructed. The first step was to attach another seatbelt that ran diagonally across their chests. The second step was to pull down a thick overhead safety bar that locked down in front of them, just above their waists. The bar was attached to the top of the seat with large padded columns on either side that served as an additional barrier for their sides. These vertical columns also had hook-like handlebars where they could rest their hands. Once everything had been locked into place, the diagrams disappeared from the screens and the computer voice returned.

_"All safety equipment in place… all riders secure… initiating transition to Mode '2'… please watch your feet."_

What happened next honestly took them by surprise. The pod immediately began to open from the bottom as the walls folded up slowly to unite and re-form the pyramid above their heads. Since the bottom of the pod was technically a point due to its pyramid shape, there was a sheet of metal at the bottom that served as a level floor, but even _it_ retracted into itself as the walls moved up. Both of them were forced to rest their feet on a cross bar that was attached underneath the seat. Otherwise, it was only them and the seat, dangling in mid-air. To add on to it, the four seats all began to rotate slowly in a circle. The switch had shocked the two Loonatics initially, but they both quickly warmed up to the new thrill.

"Oh-my-gosh-this-is-so-_cool_-you-guys! I-feel-like-I-could-fall-at-any-second!"

"Blargharifijartigaaa!"

"Wow, that's insanely cool!" Lexi commented in amazement. The ride had suddenly become _very _interesting to her.

"Pssshhh… _big deal, _so you took away the floor," Duck said, obviously unimpressed, "I thought you were going to show us something new and exciting…"

"Eh, correct me if I'm wrong Duck," Ace spoke up, "but isn't there still one more settin' we have ta see?"

"So what, are they just gonna spin _faster?_"

"Well, let's find out then, shall we?" Tech responded confidently. He resumed communications with the passengers, "Rev!"

"Is-it-time-to-move-on-already-Tech?" he spoke with an already thrilled voice.

"You got it, Rev. So, both of you, look on the cross-bar that's in front of your waists. There should be three buttons. Press the smallest one with the number '3' on it!" Both of them pressed the button in unison and the computer voice once again re-appeared.

_"Mode change requested… Mode '3' requested… confirmed by all passengers… please place feet __behind__ the cross-bar located below the seat…"_

Another diagram appeared on their screens to explain the new request. It seemed unusual for them to tuck their legs inward in such a manner, but they remembered Tech's advice and did as they were told. Once the computer picked up that they had done so, it continued.

_"All riders in position… initiating transition to Mode '3'… hold on tight."_

The new changes started out simply enough. The speed of the pod's rotation increased _slightly_ and each of the hanging seats turned to the side to face the direction of the spin. What happened after _that_ was anything but expected. The crossbars that hung below their chairs slowly began to fold upwards until they rested horizontally in front of the seats (similar to a foot rest that has been raised on a recliner.) Then, in a stunning turn, both the crossbar and seat itself began to fold _backwards_ in unison. When the two parts formed a straight vertical board with the back of the seat (leaving Slam and Rev practically in a standing position) the entire seat began to tilt clockwise until it was _almost_ horizontal. This put the riders in kind of "flying" position. Rev and Slam were stretched out and facing the ground below, with the seats above their backs and only held in place by the safety equipment. To complete the experience, the beam that connected the four seats together above them tilted upward slightly. This meant that the riders were now flying in an angled circle, where they would move both upward and downward in a diagonal rotation. Rev and Slam could barely contain their excitement and could be heard shouting and laughing over the ride.

"Man-this-is-so-COOL-I-feel-like-I'm-_flying_-which-really-isn't-all-that-new-considering-I-already-_can_-fly-but-still-this-is-just-as-much-fun-because-I-don't-actually-have-to-do-anything-except-sit-and-enjoy-the-ride!"

"Wow Tech, this ride kicks ass!" It was easy to tell that Lexi was excited because she didn't normally curse. She couldn't wait to try it out for herself once she got to the festival.

"Alright, alright," Duck spoke, lightening up some, "I guess it _does_ look kind of fun…" He seemed almost disappointed in himself for admitting it.

"I'm pretty sure I've said this before," Ace began cheerfully, "but I think you've really outdone ya-self this time, Tech."

"Thanks guys," the coyote responded to the group, "it really means a lot knowing that you approve."

"No problem, buddy. Now, how 'bout we work on gettin' those guys down?"

"Got it." Tech went back to the communicator, "Hey Rev!"

"Tech-let-me-tell-you-that-this-ride-is-_amazing_-I-feel-like-I-could-stay-up-here-all-day!"

"Glad you like it, but I think it's time we wrap it up."

"Awww… do-we-have-to? Can't-we-just-have-another-minute-or-two?"

"Yeeahh!" Slam agreed.

"Sorry guys, but I think we're already running late for the festival."

Rev sighed, "Fine, so-what-do-we-have-to-do?"

"Both of you need to look on the bar at your waist again and hit the largest button with the number '1' on it. The computer should take care of the rest while I work on slowing you guys down."

"Gotcha!"

The computer voice re-appeared once the buttons were pressed, _"Mode change requested… Mode '1' requested… confirmed by all passengers… all safety equipment in place... now transitioning to Mode '1'… please remain as still as possible."_

With that, the seats ceased spinning and the pod itself went back to being level. The seats slowly began folding back into their original positions and turned facing inward. The metal floor reappeared as the triangular walls folded back down to re-form the pyramid structure on bottom. The pod had turned back to normal. After a few more slow rotations, the yellow pod eventually came to a stop on the bottom of the wheel as Slam and Rev removed all the various belts and bars to exit the ride. The computer noticed them leaving and bid one final farewell, "_Thank you for riding the Loona-Loop v3! Have a nice day!"_

Once they had gotten off, Tech flipped a switch to shut off all the power for the ride and stepped out of the control panel. "So I'm guessing that you guys liked it?" he asked the two riders.

In response, Slam immediately went up to the coyote and gave him a giant smothering bear hug; similar to the one he had given Ace earlier.

"I'll take that as a yes…" Tech managed to squeeze out before Slam let him go.

"Hold on, I have a question!" Duck spoke up. "Just _how_ do you expect us to take something like this with us to the fairgrounds? I don't think we have anything that can carry it…"

"Actually, I've thought about that to, and I have the perfect solution. Rev, fetch me my…"

Before he could finish his request, Rev had already raced to another part of the lab. He already knew what Tech was going to ask for, and he quickly brought it back to him, "…your-Molecular-Reconstructor?"

"Actually, yes," Tech asked, somewhat surprised at the roadrunner's attentiveness, "nice work, Rev." Tech pointed the device at the wheel and shot it with a stream of golden light. Immediately, the ride began to shrink down until it was about the height of a small tennis ball.

"Aww, it's kind of cute like that," Lexi commented lightly.

Duck approached the shrunken wheel and tried to pick it up. He was surprised when he couldn't. The mallard was putting every ounce of strength he had into lifting it, but the object refused to budge. "Well, that didn't help anything!" he argued after a few failed attempts. "Why is it so heavy?"

Tech began to explain, "That's because I only affected the object's _size_. I didn't do anything to affect its _weight_. To do that I'm going to need…"

Rev was one step ahead of him again, and had successfully retrieved the item in advance, "…The-Gravity-Stabilization-Gyro?"

Tech laughed, "I guess great minds _do_ think alike," he joked. He pointed the Gyro at the shrunken wheel and shot it with a series of whitish rings that completely enveloped the object for a moment or two. Once the rings had subsided, Tech stopped the device and approached the object, picking it up easily and putting it into his pocket.

"Show off..." Duck muttered under his breath.

"Alright gang," Ace took charge, "we've eaten breakfast, we've gotten ready, and Tech is finished with his ride. Are we all ready ta head out now?

"Of course! I'm _always_ ready to meet my adoring fans…"

"You-can-count-me-in!"

"Ready when you are, Ace!"

"All set, chief!"

"Bllaargghh!"

"Good, 'cuz we got a festival ta get to. Let's jet!"

* * *

><p><strong>Whew, you made it! HIGH FIVE! =D<strong>

**Sorry if it seemed like I was rushing a little at the end, 'cuz I was... **

**Anyway, this is what I meant when I said that I was going to try and develop the characters and make them seem more realistic and deep. I hope it came across okay. Also, If you feel like certain characters were dealt with less than others in this aspect, there's still more to come in the next chapter. I needed to spread it out, and I probably just felt that those characters will have _their moments_ in a more "situational" environment. In other words, don't worry, it's coming...**

**Okay, now let's get to more important matters. I will now begin writing chapter 3 and should have it up hopefully in 2-3 weeks. For future reference, my goal is to have a new chapter out at least every 3 weeks (unless of course life gets in the way, I am in college, you know.)**

**Also, if you're anxious about how long it might be before the next chapter comes out, be sure to check out my profile, I'll be updating it frequently whenever I make progress on my writing. **

**I guess that about sums everything up. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I can't wait to get to the good stuff ) **

**So, please leave me a review telling me what you think, and I will catch you guys later! Thanks!**


	3. The Fans

**Well guys, I finally did it! After three and a half long and testing months, I finally have an update on this story. Yay!**

**It's another long chapter again, in fact it's actually a bit longer than the last one... hehe. Believe me, I really tried to keep this one short, but I guess it's just the way I write. Even though I'm happy wth the way this turned out, I'm still going to keep trying to make my future writing a little more _consise_. I'm pretty sure I can at least shave a good few hundred words.**

**What's funny is that I originally intended for this to only the be the first half of what was supposed to be all of chapter 3. I ended up splitting the chapter in two parts so not only could I get something out to you faster, but I was _hoping_ that I could really cut down on the length. Ha, what a fool I was... =P**

**So yeah, this chapter is pretty much just about each of the Loonatics meeting with some of their fans at the Festival. It's pretty straight-forward, but I tried to integrate character development wherever I could. Also, we get some more hints as to what their lives were like before the comet hit (you know, the point of this whole story.)**

**Also, in case you were wondering about it, _yes_ I'm taking advantage of the new image feature for this site. The cover art for this story is actually a picture I hand-drew and hand-colored myself. (It's part of the reason why I took so long). Once I found out that we can add images to our stories now, I jumped on the opportunity to share it with you guys! It's a little hard to see clearly, since I had to resize it, but I really like the way it turned out. Expect more stuff like that in the future!**

**Anyway, I've taken up enough of your time, I'm sure you just want to get to the story. Just like last time, I strongly recommend that you not read this all in one sitting, your eyes have been warned. **

**Hope you enjoy it! **

**DISCLAIMER: I honestly can't believe I've gone this far without ever putting a disclaimer. Anyway, I don't own anything about the Loonatics except for the plot of this story. Please don't sue me, I have no money.**

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 3 - The Fans<strong>

"I didn't think there'd be so many people..."

The nerves were beginning to show in Tech's voice as he peeked through the curtain. He and his teammates - save for Ace who was meeting with one of the event coordinators - were standing off to the side of the auditorium stage as they watched their potential audience continue to grow. At noon today, in just a few minute's time, the "Fan Meet-n'-Greet" event would begin and it seemed likely that some people had been in lines since early that morning. There were three thick lines of people that stretched from a distant point in the hallway, went through one of the three main entry doors, and reached to the edge of the stage. A few individuals were still managing to squeeze in through the doors and meet with friends who had held spots toward the front of these lines, often to the frustration of the people behind them. The only seats that were being used were those close to the aisles, seating people who were either spilling over from a crowded group, or who had simply grown tired of standing.

When the team flew into the fairgrounds just moments ago, they took note of the festival's impressive attendance and expected a large crowd for this event. But even then, they didn't expect _this_ level of turnout. It was large enough to place the normally collected coyote out of his comfort zone.

"Wow, you're right! It's really starting to get packed..." Lexi commented, opening the curtain a little wider so she could get a better view, "and look how far those lines go out the door!"

"More peepuull..." Slam commented with an excited chuckle. He hadn't been in front of a crowd this large in a long time, and he found it exhilarating.

"That may be all well and good for you Slam," Tech admitted, "but I for one would feel much better off with _less_ people."

"What's the matter, Tech? You sound a little _nervous..._" Duck's tone implied a more condescending form of teasing. "What happened to that _'Mr. Cool and Confident'_ attitude you're always clinging to around HQ?"

Before Tech could offer any sort of defense, Rev had beaten his friend to the punch, "Cut-him-some-slack-Duck-he's-just-a-little-nervous-that's-all! We-all-have-something-that-scares-us-and-I'm-sure-you've-got-something-too!"

"Me? Afraid of stuff?" the mallard crooned, "Ha! Not likely..."

"You-_sure_-about-that...?"

"Of course. The only thing that even comes close to scaring me is my own awesomeness!"

"OH-MY-GOD-DUCK-LOOK-OUT-BEHIND-YOU-IT'S-A-WEREWOLF!" Rev screeched at the top of his lungs, startling everyone.

"What? _Where?_" Duck spun around at the warning and frantically surveyed the area behind him, but all he saw was an empty backstage. There were a few stage hands that were throwing confused looks at the group, but there was no werewolf.

Duck chuckled nervously as he turned back around, "Ha! Nice try Rev, but you should've known that an old trick like that wasn't gonna..." He trailed off once he noticed that the roadrunner was nowhere to be seen. "Rev? _Rev?_" he called out, worry slowly creeping back into his voice, "Alright this isn't funny guys, tell me what happened to Rev..."

Before his teammates had the opportunity to play dumb, Duck's attention was commanded elsewhere after feeling a light tap on his shoulder, coming from behind him. He turned around slowly and felt a chilling jolt run down his spine as he laid eyes on the culprit, who released a dark and twisted growl.

"_AAAAHHHH! WEREWOLF!_" Duck shrieked with terror after looking into a pair of menacing eyes. In an instinctive response, he activated his powers and quacked to the opposite side of the room. For a brief second he looked relieved, assuming he had escaped the monster, but panic returned just as quickly as it had gone when he turned around and saw that the beast was once again standing right behind him. With another scream, he quacked once again to a new location, but only met with the same outcome. The duck continued to try and teleport away, but no matter how random his new location would be, the werewolf would always seem to be one step ahead, much to his confusion and panic.

Duck's teammates, on the other hand, weren't quite as concerned. Looking at everything from the sidelines made it easy for them to see through the act. It wasn't an actual werewolf that was chasing their friend, obviously, but just Rev in the same costume he had worn last Halloween: a snarling wolf mask and a pair of vampire fangs (minus the full body costume.) Besides, how likely would it be that an actual werewolf would be as skinny as he was? After a few moments, Duck's mind must have calmed down enough for him to reach this realization as well since his demeanor quickly switched from fear to frustration.

"Come on, knock it off, Rev! This isn't funny anymore! _Please stop..._" By this point, Duck was only keeping up the chase because he found that wolf mask to be _very_ creepy, prompting him to stay as far away as he could from it. Unfortunately, he was having no luck whatsoever at shaking Rev off of his tail. How was able to keep up with him so well?

Of course, as unpredictable as his power was, Duck was overlooking one small drawback that Rev was only taking advantage of. Each time the mallard would disappear or re-appear, the action would be preceded by a high-frequency noise and a quick flash of colored light. All Rev had to do was keep an eye out for those two signals. With both his speed and the relatively small size of the room, he could be ready and waiting at Duck's new location before he was even finished quacking. Rev was only keeping up the chase because he was curious as to how long it would take Duck to figure this out and give up the pointless pursuit. After a moment or two, his teammates were beginning to wonder the same thing.

"How much longer do you think this'll last?" Tech asked openly.

"Tough call," Lexi debated, "but I'm sure they're smart enough to stop soon enough..."

"I don't know, " Tech joked, "I think it's strange that Duck hasn't stopped _already_..."

"_I_ think it's strange that Rev actually brought that stupid mask with him..." she joked back.

Tech smirked at her observation and turned his attention back to the chase. As repetitive as they were, it was taking his mind off the crowd outside.

"You gonna be okay out there?" Lexi asked him after a moment, returning to the original issue.

Tech wasn't expecting the question, "Hmmm? Oh... yeah, I'll be fine. I just get a little nervous in front of crowds..." Slam began rubbing the coyote's shoulders in an attempt to relieve him of some of his tension.

"I figured you'd be used to being in front of crowds by now," Lexi wondered out loud. "Besides, you were a grad student, right? Didn't you have to give all sorts of speeches and presentations back then?"

"Yeah, but my audiences were never really that big, mostly just teachers and sometimes a few classmates. The biggest group I ever had wasn't much more than about 20 people. There must be several hundreds of people out there now, you can't blame me for being a _little_ nervous..."

"Yeah, " she admitted, "it is a bit nerve-racking. But still, I wouldn't be worried if I were you, Tech. All these people are our fans, remember. I'm pretty sure they're not gonna care _what_ you do."

"I guess you have a point..."

"Of course I do! And besides, if you're still nervous when we get on stage, you can always just... I don't know... imagine everyone in their underwear or something."

"...are you serious?" Tech said after a moment, unsure of what to make of her advice.

"Yeah!" Lexi laughed. She realized how absurd her suggestion sounded before he even asked. Nonetheless, she decided to stick with it. "It's what everyone always says, right? That means there's gotta be some truth to it..."

Rev zipped over into the conversation, finally deciding to drop the act with Duck. "You-know-she-has-a-point-Tech-that-really-is-something-you-hear-all-the-time-and-why-would-people-keep-saying-something-if-it-wasn't-true? And-besides-you-can-see-how-it-might-actually-be-kinda-funny-if-you-imagine-that-everyone's-wearing-something-really-absurd-like-frilly-bloomers-or-those-boxers-that-have-funny-slogans-on-them-or-something. But-then-again-that-makes-me-wonder-if-someone-isn't-actually-wearing-any-underwear-does-that-mean-you-can-just-put-whatever-you-want-on-them-or-would-you-actually-imagine-them-as-_naked_-because-I-can't-imagine-how-that-would-be-helpful-at-all-and-if-anything-it-would-just-make-everything-awkward-which-would-just-end-up-making-you-more-nervous-and-"

"Alright Rev," Tech interrupted him sternly, "I think you've made your point."

"Sorry... I-guess-my-mouth-just-runs-a-lot-faster-than-my-brain-sometimes..."

"We can tell," Lexi commented. Rev chuckled nervously, slightly embarrassed at where his runaway thoughts had taken him this time.

Duck suddenly appeared alongside the rest of his teammates. "That was _so _not cool, Rev. You oughta be _ashamed_ of yourself!"

"Hmmm... you'd-think-so... but..."

"I'm serious! You know how much that stupid costume of yours gives me the creeps..."

"What's the matter, Duck? You sound spooked," Tech interjected, cleverly imitating the mallard's earlier comment. "What happened to that _'Mr. Cool and Confident' _attitude that _you're_ always going on about?"

"Very funny, smart guy. But for your information, I'm still cool and confident. It's just that werewolves make me jumpy."

Rev seized one last opportunity and quickly whirled back in Duck's direction and released a surprisingly sinister growl, displaying the fangs he had put back in his mouth. Duck jumped a little and released another yelp making his teammates laugh.

"Alright Rev, I think Duck has had enough terror for one day..." Lexi said gently as she put her hand on Rev's shoulder. Rev was a bit reluctant, but he complied obediently as he put the fangs back in his pocket.

"That's it Rev!" Duck shouted, "I'm _so_ telling Ace on you! Where is that guy anyway?"

"Actually, there's Mr. Boss-man now, right on cue!" Lexi commented as Ace appeared in one of the doorways, returning to meet with the rest of his team.

"What's up, Docs?"

"_I'll _tell you what's up," Duck spoke accusingly, "Rev keeps picking on me, and won't leave me alone! I didn't even do anything!"

"Whatever-Duck-you-were-picking-on-Tech-and-I-was-just-standing-up-for-him!"

"I was just teasing him, you didn't have to start chasing me with that freaky wolf face of yours!"

"But-you-were-asking-for-it!"

"No I wasn't!

"Yes-you-were!"

"No I _wasn't!_"

"Yes-you-_were!_"

"Alright alright," Ace stepped in, "Clearly, this argument is gettin' nowhere. So, in times like these, I feel it's best ta just let tha jury decide." He turned to the other three team members, "Alright, by a show o' hands, who here thinks that Rev's antics were outta line?"

The three of them exchanged a few expressions, but none of them raised a hand.

"Okay," Ace continued, "who here thinks that Duck was askin' for it?"

Tech and Lexi raised their hands almost immediately. Slam hesitated for a moment as if he was debating it in his mind, but he eventually raised his hand as well. One of the nearby stage hands must've been paying attention to the disagreement too, because he also raised his hand. Duck frowned.

"Alright then, it's unanimous. Looks like you were askin' for it, Duck."

"Oh come on, that's not fair," Duck protested. He turned to the stage hand who had raised his hand, "And no one even asked _you!_" He just shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, if he was watchin' tha two o' ya, then his vote's as good as anybody's," Ace defended, "Now Rev says that you were makin' fun o' Tech for some reason. _I_ think ya owe him an apology."

"But-"

"Duck..." Ace raised his voice ever so slightly.

"_Fine..._" Duck eventually conceded, turning somewhat begrudgingly to the coyote. "I'm sorry for making fun of you or whatever..." he spoke reluctantly.

"Apology accepted," Tech said simply.

"See-now-Duck-that-wasn't-so-bad-"

"Hold on a minute Rev, you ain't gettin' off tha hook that easily either," Ace interrupted. The roadrunner shifted attention to his leader as he continued, "Now, I know ya like messin' around and playin' games n' all, but there's a time and a place for it. So, I think ya owe Duck an apology, too."

Rev took in his words for a moment, but quickly acknowledged him, "I-understand." He turned to Duck, "I-guess-I'm-sorry-too-for-chasing-you-around-like-that-Duck. We-still-friends?" Rev held out his hand. His voice was still eager, but with an undeniable honesty. Duck stared at the roadrunner's outstretched palm and perky grin for a moment, not quite sure how to react, but eventually accepted his handshake.

"Yeah, yeah..." he muttered.

It was hard for anyone on the team to really stay mad at Rev. Sure, there were many times where his motor mouth could become a source of annoyance, and all of them had each fallen victim to their fair share of his pranks, but his more genuine attitude served as a nice counter-balance. His cheerful and generally optimistic demeanor was often pretty contagious, and it helped to make his teammates much more accepting to his shenanigans. Plus, it also helped that Rev was one of the more conscientious members of the team. He would always make sure to never push something _too_ far and he was usually quick to apologize and if he ever felt like his plans went awry in any way. That's just the way Rev was, always thinking of others even before he thought of himself.

"Great," Lexi spoke up, "now that we're all friends again, how about we listen to whatever Ace _actually_ came in to say..."

Ace took her cue, "Right, so I was just talkin' to tha event coordinator and it looks like they just finished puttin' everything togetha. So we should be gettin' started any minute now. You guys ready?"

Rev began the chain of responses from each of the team members, "You-betcha-Ace-I-can't-wait-to-get-out-there-and-see-_all_-those-people-and-shake-_all-_those-hands-and-sign-_all_-those-autographs-and-take-_all_-those-pictures-and-stuff!"

Duck answered next, "Umm... take out some of those extra words and I agree with Rev. I just hope that they're as ready as I am!"

Slam didn't say anything himself, but he snickered in anticipation.

Lexi laughed, "Well, I can't say I'm as excited as these three, but I'm ready when you guys are."

Ace grinned back at her and then turned his attention to the only teammate who hadn't responded yet. Tech was hoping he wouldn't have to answer, "I-I'm all set chief... good to go!" Try as he did, he couldn't help but stumble on his first word. His nerves must have returned once he heard how soon they would be starting. He tried to pick up his tone at the end to cover it up, but there was very little that could get past Ace's radar.

"Somethin' wrong, Tech?"

Tech opened his mouth to deny the obvious, but Rev was quick to give him away, "Actually-that's-just-what-we-were-talking-about-before-you-showed-up! You-see-Tech-here-is-just-a-little-nervous-about-being-in-front-of-so-many-people-and-I-mean-can-you-blame-him? Have-you-seen-how-huge-that-crowd-is-I-mean-just-look-at-'em-all!" With his last words, he poked his head out of the curtain, taking one last look for himself. Tech sighed.

"Is that true?" Ace asked.

"Yeah, pretty much..." he admitted. "Large crowds just make me a little... uneasy. That's all."

"Well," Ace suggested, "if it helps any, you could always just imagine that -"

"- everyone in the audience is in their underwear," Tech finished for him, rather dully. "Yeah, I got it..."

"_Actually,_ I was gonna say that you could just imagine that there _is_ no audience, and that we're tha only ones on stage. But if that's what calms ya down, then I ain't gonna judge."

Tech opened his mouth to argue against such a gross misinterpretation, but stopped when he caught Ace's smirk. Ace always had a knack for being able to make light of almost any situation. It came in handy whenever spirits were low, or whenever any one of them wasn't feeling their best. For a brief moment, he actually managed to relax a little bit. Unfortunately, it didn't last as some feedback noise from the microphone onstage sent a small shiver through his fur.

The background noise from the chattering crowd slowly began to deafen as a voice came up through the microphone. "Alright, if I could just have everyone's attention, we'd like to go ahead and get started..."

"Well guys," Lexi said happily, "looks like it's starting!"

"Already?" Ace questioned aloud, "Wow, that was sure fast. Alright, listen up gang, there's a few more things I gotta say before we go out there..." He huddled his teammates in closer as the announcer onstage continued to address the crowd.

"Before we start," the man began politely, "I'd like to thank each and every one of you for coming out. It looks like we've got a pretty good turnout today, am I right?" After a quick cheer, the man continued. "For those of you who don't know, my name is Adam Grant and I'm the president of the Acmetropolis City Council as well as the _'Master of Ceremonies'_, if you will, for the inaugural 'Acmetropolis Comet Carnival!'" The crowd couldn't help but cheer once again.

"Now, as the _Master of Ceremonies_ for this event, it's my job to deliver the opening address. So, if you'll all bear with me for a moment, I have a few things that I would like to say." A random person somewhere in the crowd gave a cheer that seemed to stand out even more in an assembly that had fallen almost completely silent. "Now, as all of you know, on this very day exactly one year ago, a rogue and unidentified meteor, somehow blind-siding all of our satellites and monitors, crash landed into our very own Acmetropolis Harbor."

"Over the past few months, as our city council was planning and organizing this event, there was one question in particular that many people would come up and ask me... _'Why?'_ Why were we going to such lengths to put something like this together? They could understand the idea of setting aside a day for remembrance, but they couldn't bring themselves to understand _why_ we would see the benefit in planning a _celebration_ for an event that seemed like such a disaster at the time. I'm sure some of you are probably wondering the same thing."

"While we certainly had our reasons, that doesn't mean that those people were wrong for feeling that way. Because it is true that in the days and weeks that followed the impact, our city did enter a dark time of its own. With the explosion, our city suffered many damages as thousands of people lost their homes, their businesses, and their jobs, some parts of the city being hurt worse than others. Hospitals became overrun with people who had been injured from the crash and those who were hurt in the aftermath. And even though the amount of casualties were relatively low, many lives _were_ lost."

"As the days went on, our city continued to fall under even greater distress as the aftereffects of the comet continued to wreak havoc. Lingering radiation messed with our electronic and satellite signals. The comet affected our planet's natural alignment which not only spurred a number of natural disasters around the world-many of them close to home- but also permanently shifted our planet's climate and time zones. Fear and paranoia began to fill the population as crime rates started climbing, and our nation's business and economy began to collapse. To make matters even worse, a number of people started to emerge from the depths of Acmetropolis, in an attempt to seize control while the city was vulnerable, some of them even boasting superhuman abilities that they claimed were a result of the comet's radiation."

By this point, silence was practically echoing through the auditorium, many people remembering their own experiences at the time of the strike. As far as opening addresses went, this one wasn't that bad. "Doesn't exactly sound like a day worth celebrating, does it?" he resumed, "So, why _are_ we? Because not long after things began to turn for the worse, we were given a ray of hope. Some of Acmetropolis' very own slowly began to emerge from the woodwork boasting supernatural, comet-induced powers of their own. Fortunately for us, instead of using their powers to threaten the city, they chose to defend it. They came from all walks of life and banded together in an effort to protect the broken city they called home. Together, they became a light for this city, a beacon of hope for a society that was losing its way. With their help, we stood together, picked up the pieces, and started over."

"_That's_ why we are celebrating today. When that meteor struck the city exactly one year ago, our very way of life changed forever. The impact took many things away from us, and changed much more, but there is one thing we have now that we didn't have then... _hope_. Hope in ourselves... hope in each other... hope in our city... and hope in six brave heroes who have selflessly put their lives on the line for each and every one of us. And we can only hope that they will continue to do so for many years to come."

There was a small bout of scattered applause from the crowd, as the councilman started to wrap up his speech. "Yes, we have many reasons to be thankful for the help of these brave heroes, and in my opinion, what better way to show our thanks than to tell them in person? So today, for the first time ever, each and every one of you will have the chance to meet with your favorite Loonatics up close and personal!" The crowd sprang back to life with another burst of applause. "For the next couple of hours, they will be right here on this stage signing autographs, taking pictures, and simply enjoying the opportunity to meet their biggest fans in person. So what do you think? You guys ready to meet them?"

The roar of the crowd was deafening in anticipation. "Okay! It is now my honor and privilege to introduce to you... _The Loonatics!_" The councilman finished his opening address with a flourish.

Taking their cue from the speaker, the team emerged onto the stage, their appearance practically doubling the sound intensity from the crowd. Set up on the stage was a set of long tables covered together in white cloth, long enough to seat all six of them with generous space in between each person. Six chairs had already been propped behind it and in front of each of them, seated on top of the table, were two bottles of water, a small assortment of pens and markers, a few blank sheets of paper, and a small outward facing sign with one of their names on it, telling each of them where to sit.

The team walked onto the stage single-file, in their seating order, and took their seats. Ace sat at the first spot closest to the podium and, moving to the right, sat Lexi, Duck, Slam, Tech, and finally Rev. It took a few moment s for the crowd to subside completely and allow Mr. Grant to resume speaking.

"Now, I'm sure that all of you are fully aware who these people seated next to me are, but for the sake of this event, I think that handing over the microphone and allowing each of the team members to introduce themselves would be a great way to start things off." He removed the microphone from its stand on the podium, "So, one at a time, why don't each of you give us your name, how old you are, and tell us a little bit about what you do for the team? Naturally, we'll start with the leader..." A few more cheers went up from the audience as the councilman handed the mic over to Ace.

Ace couldn't help but tap the microphone a few times before he began. "So... uh... what's up, Docs?" he said with a bit of uncertainty. A few isolated laughs and whoops from the assembly in response to his familiar phrase let him know that he was at least starting off on the right foot. "Tha name's Ace... Ace Bunny," he continued, this time with more conviction, "I'm 21 years young, and like Mr. Grant was sayin', I'm tha leader o' this here rag-tag group o' misfits. And that basically means that it's my job ta keep 'em all outta trouble..." The crowd laughed. "Now, as for what I can do... I guess you've all seen me shoot lasers outta my eyes. But my eyes also give me an incredible field o' vision with infrared capabilities, which makes it tough fer anyone ta sneak up on me. But, as far as super powahs go, I ain't got much compared to tha rest o' tha guys. So, I make up for it with my martial arts and sword fightin' skills. I don't mean ta brag or nuthin', but I'm a pretty good fighta if I do say so myself." A couple of people in the crowd whooped as Ace finished up and handed the microphone over to Lexi.

Before she could even start, a large feminine cheer rose up in support of the team's only female member. "Hey guys," she began, "my name is Lexi Bunny... uh... no relation to Ace... and I am 20 years old. Technically, I'm kind of like the 'second-in-command' of the team, which just means that while Ace is trying to keep all of _us_ out of trouble, it's my job to keep _him_ out of trouble." The crowd laughed again. As far as the team was concerned, both she and Ace were doing a pretty decent job of getting the crowd warmed up. "As for my powers," she continued, "I have super hearing. My ears are naturally twice as sensitive as a normal person's, but my power allows me to control how sensitive my hearing is. If I need to, I can turn it up to be almost twenty times more sensitive than the average person's, which can really come in handy for things like spying and tracking. Aside from super hearing, I also have this power where, if I concentrate hard enough, I can shoot energy beams from my ears, which is my main weapon during missions. I call them _'brain blasts!'_ And... I think that about covers everything, so I'll just... hand this over now..." A few final cheers eased out of the crowd as Lexi handed the microphone over to Duck.

"Hello there, my loyal fans," he began, striking up the familiar prideful tone, "it is _I_, the one and only Danger Duck, speaking to you now. And although I may look a lot older, I can assure you that I'm only 19 years old... second youngest on the team. I'm not exactly sure what my _official_ role on the team is, but I'm certainly the _coolest_ one here, so I guess that's something." The laughter from the crowd was a bit more generous than it was for either Ace or Lexi. The mallard's larger-than-life attitude actually came off as charismatic and even somewhat endearing to the people. In fact, the rest of the team might've actually felt the same way if it seemed like Duck was actually willing to give it a rest once in a while. The crowd had the benefit of not being around it 24/7, so they found it rather entertaining.

"And as for my super powers," Duck went on, "I can do... _this!_" He stuck out one of his hands and formed a power orb in his palm, the people observing it with awe. "To be honest, I'm not really sure _what_ these things are... they're like little orange fireballs or somethin'... but they always have a surprise inside them. Sometimes it's something good, sometimes it's not so good, but I never know what it is until I throw it. I call them _'eggs.'_" Duck extinguished the orb in his hand an continued, "I also have the power to teleport myself whenever and wherever I want to. The only catch is that I have to have a mental image of the place in my mind for it to work, so I can usually only teleport to places I've already been to. Also, it can't be _too_ far away. If I didn't have a limit on how far away I could go, believe me, I'd probably be on a beach right now." The audience laughed once again.

"Now, I'm sure that all of you would love to hear me keep talking about myself, but time is short, and I think I've run out of stuff to say, anyway. So, I'll just-" Before Duck could pass the microphone, Slam gave him a nudge to help jog his memory. "Oh right," he remembered, "since my giant purple friend here has a little trouble with his words, he's asked me to speak _for_ him today." Slam nodded his head slowly with a grin as if to back up what Duck was saying. Duck placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "This here is Mr. Slam Tasmanian, and he is... 22... I think?" Slam nodded, and Duck continued, "Yeah, he's 22 years old, and he's basically our _muscleman_. Since his power is superhuman strength, he comes in handy when we need a guy who can do some heavy lifting, or if we're facing someone who could use a good beating. Also, I think he can make tornadoes or something..." Duck didn't really know what else to say, so he offered Slam the microphone, who took it, raised his free hand into fist a in the air, and released a powerful and enthusiastic cry.

_"Bbbrreeeahhhh!"_

In response, a deep roar came from a number of people in the crowd, mimicking his cry, many of them also raising their fists up as well. It was easy to tell that most of these people were some of Slam's oldest fans, who were familiar with him from back when he spent most of his time in a wrestling ring. He took in the response with a bit of nostalgia before passing the microphone on.

Tech made sure to take a quick, deep breath before speaking, but his nerves persisted. "H-hello... my name is... Tech E. Coyote..." before he could say anything else, he was interrupted by a few very loud, and very feminine shrieks. Most of the shrieks were scattered randomly throughout the crowd, but a small source was concentrated near the front, and a slightly larger source was coming from somewhere towards the back. At first, he wasn't sure whether to be encouraged or embarrassed by the cheers of fangirls, but as a few of them kept shouting, he heard some more encouraging things like 'go Tech' and 'we love you'. He eventually settled on the former.

"Right," he continued, this time a touch more deliberately, "So, I am 22 years old, and you can think of me as the team's technician. I'm also a graduate of Acme Tech University, I enrolled when I was 16, got my Bachelor's when I was 19, and I was all set to receive my Master's just last year... but, I guess fate had other plans for me." The crowd laughed. "So, with that in mind, it's pretty safe to say that I know a few things about science and technology. In fact, almost every gadget, weapon, vehicle, or any other piece of machinery you see one of us using was likely designed and built by me. As for my superpowers, I can create magnetic fields from my palms that allow me to control almost anything made of metal, which comes in handy on the field _and_ in the lab. Aside from that, I also have an ability known as 'molecular regeneration.' Anytime I'm hurt, wounded, or take any other significant amount of damage for whatever reason, this power will kick in and my wounds will start healing instantly, all on their own. And I know that it sounds ideal, but trust me, this power is far from perfect. I'm not immortal or anything, and I can still feel pain. In fact, the whole process actually takes up _a lot_ of my energy, so there's only so many times I can use it in a row. But still, a power like that has _definitely_ saved my tail many times in the past..." The crowd murmured in agreement, and Tech's demeanor calmed down almost instantly, when he realized that he made it through his speech. With a few last-minute cheers, he gladly handed the microphone to the last remaining teammate.

"Hey-everyone-how-are-you-guys-doing-today?" he began cheerfully, inciting a generous response from the people. "My-full-name-is-Rev-Runner-and-I'm-only-18-years-old-which-makes-me-the-youngest-member-on-the-team-if-you-can-believe-it! And-you-know-I'm-not-exactly-sure-what-my-official-role-on-the-team-is-because-I-know-it-should-probably-be-something-obvious-like-'speed-demon'-or-something-on-account-of-how-fast-I-am-but-then-again-I-think-that-sounds-a-little-basic-and-besides-I-have-been-told-that-I-bring-a-lot-of-energy-to-the-team-so-maybe-that-means-I'm-more-like-the-team's-'mascot'-but-then-again..."

As Rev continued to wander off from the original topic, his voice slowly accelerated until it was almost unintelligible, a common occurrence when he was thinking about a lot of different things at once. Fortunately, it came as a delight to the crowd with some of them laughing and some even cheering at the spectacle on stage. Rev's speech came across the same way that Duck's personality did. Since the people were less exposed to it than the team was, it was a little easier for them to see it as something endearing rather than something confusing or irritable, which seemed to work to everyone's advantage. Regardless, unless somebody stopped him, there would be no telling how long Rev could keep going, so Tech gave him a soft nudge with his elbow as a way to set him back on track.

"Oh-right-I'm-sorry!" Rev realized, somewhat embarrassed, "I'm-supposed-to-try-and-slow-it-down-for-you-guys..." he took a second to clear his throat before he continued. His new speed was still a little on the quick side, but it was much more discernable this time around. "Anyway, in case you couldn't tell already, my power is super speed. I'm the fastest one on the team, and last time we checked, my top speed was almost 9900 mph. For some reason, this speed also affects my brain which-is-what-makes-my-thoughts-fast-which-in-turn-makes-me-talk-fast-so-it-can-be-a-little-hard-for-people-to-understand-me-sometimes." He had to stop himself for a second. For him, talking this slow took a lot of concentration. "Besides that, I also have the ability to fly, with speeds that are almost as fast as my running speed. I also have something like an internal GPS system in my head that allows me to pinpoint the locations of almost anyone or anything I choose, which makes me a really good navigator when it comes to-finding-things-and-since-it-feels-like-I'm-starting-to-talk-fast-again-I'm-gonna-go-ahead-and-give-the-mic-back-so-I-don't-hold-us-up-any-longer..." With a few final laughs and cheers, the mic was passed back down the table and returned to the councilman.

"So, as you can see, we've got a pretty good group here," Mr. Grant commented lightly. "Anyway, I'm sure that all of you would like to go ahead and get started, and since I really don't have anything else to say, I don't see a reason to hold things up any longer. So if all of you would just stay in your lines as best you can..." The people didn't wait for him to finish. As soon as they heard that they were finally starting, the noise level started rising as some people cemented their current spots in line, and others attempted to squeeze back in after getting up from their seats.

Six security guards made their way to the edge of the stage, and two of them took their places at the front of each of the three lines. The plan was that the guards would cooperate with each other and let small groups of people from each line onto the stage in intervals. Onstage, people would separate into six smaller lines for each Loonatic, and every person would get the opportunity to meet with any and all of his or her favorite members. The event was intended to last until every line had been exhausted and every attendee had his or her time on stage. Judging by the amount of people gathered there, it was certainly going to take some time.

"Ya ready fer this, Lex?" Ace asked his partner beside him. The guards were just now sending up their first batches of people.

"Well, ready or not, here they come."

• • • • •

"Man, this is _so_ insane. I still can't believe I'm actually getting to meet the one and only _Twisted Spinner_ in the flesh!" the man gushed. He was a fairly built individual who was likely in his late twenties. His appearance suggested that he was a fan of hard rock music, since he was wearing a black band T-shirt, and sported a few arm tattoos as well as a few piercings in each ear. However, the more retro flavor of the current era was still showing in his hair which had been spiked and dyed a dark shade of red. Right beside him stood his girlfriend, who was probably only a couple of years younger than he was, and sported similar rock influences in her choice of clothing and in a silver nose piercing. She also had red hair, but since it wasn't an unnatural shade like her boyfriend's, it was more likely that it was her natural color. Both of them seemed to be excited to be in the presence of the ex-pro-wrestler, but it was obvious who the bigger fan was.

Slam chuckled appreciatively at the man's comment as he continued to scribble a messy signature onto an oversized white T-shirt the couple had handed him. On the front side of the shirt, it read the words "Live to Brawl" that surrounded the logo for the old wrestling league he was once associated with, the AWA (Acme Wrestling Association.) The shirt was already covered with a number of other signatures that had been left by other wrestlers from the league, a few of which he was very familiar with. It had taken him a minute to find a good spot, but Slam had finally chosen to leave his mark on a small empty spot on one of the sleeves.

"Oh Kris," the girl said with delight, "thanks _so_ much for getting those tickets! I mean, I never thought I'd actually get a chance to have _Slam_ sign my shirt, seeing as how busy he always is. But now, I only have a handful of people left to find before I've gotten _every_ wrestler from the '72 season to sign my shirt!"

The man scooted his girlfriend in closer and gave her a quick kiss, "Anything for you, babe!"

"Finnished!" Slam grunted as he handed the shirt back, his work completed.

The man handed the shirt to the girl who quickly surveyed its new addition with excitement. "Kick-ass!" he exclaimed, "Hey, do you mind if I get a picture with you real quick?"

Slam shook his head as Kris handed his phone over to his girlfriend, who took a picture of both of them posing with a couple of standard tough-guy looks.

"Thanks so much, man! Oh, and before we go, I just have to say that I'm, like, your biggest fan!"

"D'aawww... nu-uh..." Slam chuckled again with a bit of modesty, rubbing the back of his head.

"No, I'm serious, bro, you were an awesome wrestler, even before you hit the big leagues, what with all those 'spin' moves you had going on. Do you remember that one time a few years back when you faced that guy named _Golden Glove_, and he had you in one of his signature headlocks, but then you did that one thing with your legs, and you managed to flip the two of you over so where _you_ were on top, and then you got _him_ in a headlock forcing him to tap out?"

Slam had to think about it for a second before the memory jarred itself back into his mind. "Ohh!" he exclaimed, before proceeding to reenact the finishing headlock on an imaginary opponent.

"Haha, you _do_ remember! Nobody thought that you could win a matchup like that, but then you came out, kicked his ass, and showed 'em _all_ up that night!" The man then balled his hand into a fist and raised his arm high into the air. Easily recognizing his own victory gesture, Slam raised his own arm in kind and they bumped each other's forearms, laughing. "Yeah, I remember that was pretty much the _exact_ moment I became a fan of you! It's a shame you're not in the ring anymore, but I guess you've got bigger things to deal with nowadays, huh?"

Slam only shrugged his shoulders with the familiar grin on his face, not really knowing the best way to respond. Kris seemed to be satisfied, though. "Well, we better get going..." he finished. "Thanks again for the autograph and the pic, man. Keep slammin'!" With his turn at the table over, he turned around and started walking away, motioning his girlfriend along with him. Before they got too far, the girl looked back behind her and managed a small smile and a wave before they escaped into the crowds, Slam waving back in farewell. It was comforting for him to know that his old wrestling fans still cared for him as much as they did. Slam never had the opportunity to spend that much time in the "big leagues", as Kris had called it, before resigning and joining the Loonatics, and it was a pretty common occurrence for many other wrestlers in his same position to be quickly forgotten about after they ended their careers. However, considering where he was now, he had certainly set himself apart from most other wrestlers.

He had been meeting with fans almost non-stop for the past thirty or forty minutes now, so it took him a second to realize that his line was actually _empty_ for the moment. He looked around and saw that his teammates still had at least a few people left in each of their lines and that his must've just been a little shorter this time around. Looking out, he still saw the three main lines stretching out of the room, but the guards were apparently letting the stage empty a bit more before letting more people through. Thankful for the break, however temporary it may be, Slam took a second to lean back in his chair and let both his mind and his signing hand rest.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Duck was handing a signed photograph to one of his own fans while also receiving something in return. After examining the gift, the mallard offered his fan both a word of thanks and a confident smile. Standing on the other side of the table was a fairly attractive blonde girl who was likely only a year or two younger than he was. She had a bit of a shy face that was partially obstructed by a pair of light-rimmed glasses, but she was pretty nonetheless. With the mallard's thanks, she gave a sheepish wave goodbye before hurrying off, blushing, and leaving Duck's line empty as well. Duck was now using his free time to survey the item even closer, a smile growing on his face. Seeing as how he had nothing else to do, Slam decided to pry.

"Whuzzat?" he asked curiously.

Slam's question seemed to snap Duck's attention back to the present situation. "What, _this?_" he chuckled, "Why don't you see for yourself..." He handed the item in question over to his teammate, obviously eager to share. Seeing the item up close, he was fascinated to find out that it was an amateur painting of Duck himself, framed, and protected by a thin plane of glass. Overall, the painting was pretty well done. It wasn't anything you'd find hanging in an art museum, but was quite impressive nonetheless. In the picture, Duck was standing in a somewhat generic hero pose out on the edge of a cliff, his eyes gazing ahead at something in the distance. A setting sun painted the sky with warming colors, and the skyline of downtown Acmetropolis could be seen in the background.

One particular detail that stood out to him though was that Duck had been drawn wearing, on top of his uniform, a small teal-colored cape. To most, it would seem like a minor detail, but to them it showed just how big of a fan the girl probably was, seeing as how Duck had actually worn this cape in the past. It was only during the first few months after the team had been formed, but Duck had insisted on having a cape to go with his uniform, so much so that he settled on using a small blanket he had found in his room (the only piece of fabric in the tower that was the right size.) As time passed though, he began slowly phasing out the accessory and ultimately ended up abandoning it all together. To them, having this detail included in the picture was a testament to the girl's devotion and seemed to prove that she was likely one of Duck's _earlier_ fans.

However, even _that_ wasn't the most interesting part of Duck's gift. On the bottom left corner of the painting, the girl had written a note on the glass casing in bright red ink. It read:

_"To my favorite Loonatic and artistic inspiration. -Elle XOXO"_

To top it off, she had kissed the glass right next to her signature, leaving behind an affectionate mark in deep red lipstick. Slam couldn't help but chuckle a bit mischievously as he handed back the painting.

"Pretty sweet, huh?" the mallard began gloating. "Did you see how red her face got? But then again, how can you blame her? I doubt there's a lady out there who can resist the _handsome_ charms of a guy like me. Throw in the fact that I'm an _actual superhero_ and I'm practically a chick magnet..."

Slam rolled his eyes. _"Here we go again," _he thought to himself.

"I'm serious," he persisted, "It's pretty obvious that I'm the one guy on this team that the ladies find most desirable. Why else would they be drawing pictures of me?"

"One..."

"One more than you. And I mean, just look at _you._ With guns like yours, you should be getting all kinds of chicks, but it turns out your biggest fans are mostly _other_ muscular tough guys. You're more like... a _bro_ magnet..."

Slam threw him a look.

"Hey, it's just an observation," he defended. "All I'm trying to say is that I am _clearly_ the good-looking one out of all of us. I don't see anyone else on the team having this kind of luck with the ladies, do you?"

Slam was about to answer, when he thought he heard some giggling coming from another direction. He turned to the source and found an instant opportunity.

"Tech...?" he suggested.

"Tech?" Duck asked, confused, "What about Tech?"

Slam turned around and pointed to the coyote on his other side and the two of them watched the scene unfold. At the very front of his line, there stood a total of six girls who were likely all around the 19-21 year old range. Standing directly in front of the table were two girls, an average-sized brunette girl who wore a confident smile on her face, and a silver wolf anthro with a more bashful smile, who also happened to be holding a small rolled-up poster in her hand. The other four girls were standing a couple of feet behind them as if to show that they were with the two girls, but technically not in line. That group consisted of a short blonde girl, a taller dark-skinned girl, a fox anthro, and a white coyote anthro. The four of them were huddled in close, vainly trying to keep their gossiping under a loud whisper.

"Can I help you ladies?" Tech's voice was polite, but he couldn't completely hide what sounded like a slight pique of interest.

The two girls glanced at each other for an instant, suppressing a giggle, until the brunette finally spoke up. "Yeah... were just wondering if you could sign this poster for us?" With her suggestion, the wolf sheepishly handed him the poster, featuring a promotional image of the coyote himself.

"No problem!" Tech said gladly as he laid it out flat, and uncapped his marker. "And I'm making this out to...?" he directed the question towards the wolf since it seemed more likely that the poster belonged to her. She must've been nervous, because she didn't answer right away, and instead sent a nervous look to her friend. In response, the girl nudged her shoulder and made a face that seemed to say, _"Go on..."_

"Tara..." she finally admitted with a small smile.

"Tara?" Tech repeated, to which the wolf nodded her head in verification. "I like that name... it's very pretty. It suits you..."

His words clearly caught her off guard, because her face instantly flushed red and, though it was hard to tell for sure, it sounded like she might have squealed _ever so slightly_. Embarrassed, she turned her gaze away from the coyote in an attempt to collect herself as Tech started on his signature.

Tech had no way of knowing for sure about this either, but he felt like he might have blushed a bit too, since he hadn't quite expected himself to say something like that, either. Wasn't he just stumbling on his words not even an hour ago? Where did _that_ come from? The three of them were silent for a moment before he decided that it probably wasn't best to leave a comment like that hanging in the air. So, he decided to keep up small talk. "And _your_ name is...?" he asked the brunette.

"Oh, my name's Ashley," she answered with a small laugh, clearly more confident than her friend who had barely decided to turn her face back to the table. "And let me just say," she continued, "that we both think you're, like, the _coolest_ guy _ever!_"

Tech laughed politely at the compliment, "Well thanks. It really means a lot to hear things like that from time to time..."

"I love the way your voice sounds, Tech!" Tara almost burst out as if that was something that she had to get off her chest. The other two looked at her for a second as she tried to justify her outburst. "'Cause, you know, it's so deep... and... mysterious... sounding..." she found herself trailing off, embarrassed once again.

That's when a surprising idea appeared out of nowhere in Tech's brain. Out of natural habit, he started to consider the possible outcomes if he went ahead and said what was on his mind, versus what could happen if he didn't. He knew it was a risky move, and he normally would've passed up on an opening like this simply out of the fear of making a fool of himself. But, for some reason, Tech had an extra spark of confidence at that moment, and it was spurring himself to go ahead and take the chance. Ultimately, he spoke before he could convince himself otherwise.

He turned back to Tara and smoothly dropped his voice down as low as he could without it sounding forced, "Well if I had your number, maybe you'd get to hear my voice a lot more often..."

After a second of stunned silence among the three of them, Tara's face flushed bright red once again, and there was no denying the squeal she had made this time. Ashley, who was blushing a bit herself, quickly and eagerly starting pushing her friend to take up his offer. She was fumbling a lot, but Tara listened to her friend and dug a scrap of paper from her pocket and began to scribble something on it. The huddle of girls behind them were in a frenzy now, asking each other if they had, in fact, seen what had just happened. Duck's jaw hit the table.

Tech could barely believe it himself... his stupid line actually worked. For a second, he just sat there unsure of how exactly to react, even doubting whether that had really just happened, when he realized that he hadn't finished signing the girls' poster. He turned his focus back to the poster for a moment as the full triumph of his actions finally dawned on him. He couldn't help but smile.

Once he finished signing his note, he looked up to see that the girls were still writing. "Put my number down too..." Ashley instructed her friend. The female coyote in the back group raised her hand. "And Cassie's..." Ashley added, picking up on her friend's signal. Once they finished, the girls swapped their pink sticky note, fresh with three new sets of numbers, with Tech's signed poster.

"Thank you _so _much..." Tara said softly while looking over her new and improved poster.

"Anytime, girls," Tech finished, still speaking in a lower-than-normal tone. Both of the girls waved goodbye as they joined back up with their friends behind them who were eager to hear more details. As they started to walk away, Tech managed to pick up a few pieces of what they were saying.

"He's _so_ cute..." one of them said.

"See, I told you it was a good idea for you to come..." another one of them said, speaking to Tara. Tech then watched the six of them walk away in an uproar of giggling and joking. Before they were out of sight, Tara looked back one last time and offered a small wave back to him, which Tech returned kindly.

With the girls gone, Tech's line was finally empty as well, and when he sat back in his chair it didn't take long for him to notice that he was being watched. Slam chuckled slyly and gave his teammate a few good pats on the back. Duck had barely managed to pull his jaw up from the table, quietly infuriated at having his own moment upstaged. Tech noticed the mallard's obvious jealousy and gave him a small smirk.

Duck was ready to say something back, but they were all interrupted when the security guards let a new group of fans onto the stage. As their lines filled up, the three of them turned their attention to the next person in their line and Duck was forced to keep the comment to himself.

"Showoff..."

• • • • •

"Well if it isn't tha leader o' tha Loonatics himself, _Ace Bunny!_" the actual leader spoke in a playful tone.

"What's up Doc?" the little boy answered with pride. Ace's newest fan was covered from head to toe in a very convincing "Ace Bunny" costume, with a pair of pants and a shirt that actually sported many of the same designs and colorations that he had on his actual uniform. To complete the look, he was also wearing a full-face mask depicting the leader's face as well as a headband that propped up a set of long black and yellow rabbit ears.

"Hey, ya even got the family catchphrase down, don't ya?" Ace remarked, continuing to play along. "Ya think I could get _your_ autograph, little guy?" He picked up one of his pens and one of his scrap sheets of paper and offered it to the kid.

"Sure!" he replied eagerly, taking the pen and paper, "Anything for my fans!"

Before the boy could actually start writing, his mother behind him decided to step in. "Alright, honey, you've had your fun. But remember, there are people waiting..." The woman offered Ace a smile which he returned. By the looks of it, she seemed to be somewhere around her late 30s.

"Okay..." the son said obediently, but with a bit of obvious disappointment.

"And be polite... let the nice man see your real face while you're talking to him."

Without much further protest, the boy removed both his ears and his mask to reveal a smiling, young face, complete with dark blonde hair styled in a boyish cut, and a pair of bright, yet mischievous green eyes. Ace smiled back at the boy as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded up photograph for him to sign.

"Now what's yer name, kiddo...? I mean, yer _real_ name..." Ace joked as he took the photo.

"Hunter."

"Well, that's a pretty cool name, Hunter! How old are ya?"

"I'm 8 years old right now, but I'll be 9 tomorrow!"

"Is that so? Well, in _dat_ case, I'm gonna write 'Happy Birthday Hunter' right here on this picture, just for you. Okay?"

"Okay! Thanks, Ace!"

"Anything fer tha birthday boy!" Ace answered happily as he grabbed a spare pen and began writing down a short message. He wasn't quite sure why, but he was really taking a shine to the boy, so he tried his best to keep him talking. "Cool costume ya got there! Where'd ya get it?"

"My mom made it for me! The ones at the costume store were too expensive..."

"Well that was nice o' her. She did a really good job..."

"Uh-huh!" the boy responded enthusiastically, "I think it's even _better_ that the ones at the store! She made it because I told her that I wanted to look just like you when I got to see you today. Wanna know why?"

Ace laughed, "Why?"

"Because when I grow up, I wanna be _just like you!_ 'Cause you get to go around and be a superhero and do a whole bunch of superhero stuff, like beat up all the bad guys! That's what I wanna do! Someday, when I'm big like you, _I'm_ gonna be the one who beats up all the bad guys and saves the day..."

Ace couldn't help but laugh again at the way Hunter's face lit up while he talked about this. "Ya know, you remind me a lot of myself when I was a kid..."

Hunter's eyes widened as he absorbed what his icon had just told him. "Wow, really..." he said after a moment, "you mean it? Do you really think I could be a real-life superhero someday?

"Absolutely! There ain't a doubt in my mind!" he said with a grin. "But, ya know, bein' a hero ain't _just_ about beatin' up bad guys."

"It's not?" This was news to him.

"Nope. Sure, beatin' up bad guys is fun n' all, but a hero's _real_ job is ta protect people! When yer a real hero, yer supposed ta stand up for people who are in trouble, especially for tha people that ya care about, like yer friends... or yer mom."

"Oh yeah, huh..." Hunter was sure that he knew that already, he had just forgotten. "That sounds like a lot of work though..."

Ace laughed again, "Yeah, it is a pretty big job, but it's not that hard. Ya just have ta make sure that ya always stand up fer what's right, and more importantly, never stop believing in yourself. If you can do that... then yer _already_ a hero!"

"Really?" the boy asked with renewed excitement, "Is that all? I can do that, it'll be easy! Just you wait and see, I'm gonna be the best superhero ever!"

"Yep! And make sure that ya eat plenty o' vegetables, too!" Ace quickly added. Wasn't it his job now to remind kids to do stuff like that?

"Awww..." Hunter turned his head down at the new suggestion. Apparently for him, saving the world was easy, eating his peas was hard.

Ace only chuckled as he finished signing the photo and handed it back to the boy. "Here ya go, Hunter."

He eagerly took the photo from him and surveyed his new prize. "Cool! I can't wait 'till all my friends see _this!_ "

"What do you say...?" The mom interceded, reminding her son of his manners.

"Thank you, Ace!" the boy crooned happily.

"No problem-o... oh, and one more thing before ya go..." Ace dropped his voice a little and motioned the boy in closer as if he had a very important secret to tell him. "I don't know if ya noticed, but I've seen _a lot_ of bad guys walkin' around today..."

Ace winked and the boy's face lit up, picking up on his signal. "I know," he whispered back, "I've been seeing them all over the place. What do you think they want?"

"I don't know, but whateva it is, it can't be good. But tha problem is, I'm stuck here signin' autographs right now, so I can't stop 'em. So, I'm gonna need an extra pair o' eyes ta keep a look out fer troublemakers and make sure that everyone here stays safe. So whaddya say, ya think ya can handle it?"

Hunter's eyes widened again but only for an instant because he quickly calmed down and dawned a more serious demeanor. "You can count on me, Ace!" he answered proudly.

"Attaboy, now go out there and get 'em! But just remembah... tha most important thing ta do is ta _protect_ people. So make sure that yer mothah ova there stays outta harm's way. It's up ta you ta keep her safe. I'm countin' on ya!"

"Got it!" the boy answered back with a salute before putting his mask and his ears back on. He waved a final goodbye to the bunny before dashing back to his mom's side, proudly displaying his new autographed picture.

As his mother ushered the two of them out of the auditorium, she looked back at Ace and offered another smile. Ace smiled back with a nod of his head as he watched them walk away, overhearing the start of a new conversation.

"Get behind me, mommy! Ace said I have to keep you safe..."

"Keep me safe? Keep me safe from what?" she asked warmly.

"You know, the bad guys! Can't you see them?"

Ace couldn't help but feel good about himself after the encounter. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but something about the boy seemed strangely familiar, and a part of him was glad that he could at least leave a positive influence on him. Who knew, maybe really would someday grow up and do something amazing...

Lexi must've been keeping an eye on what was going on with Ace as well. "Looks like _someone's_ pretty good with kids..." she teased with a smile after just finishing up an autograph of her own.

"Eh, what can ya do, we're role models now. It's all part o' tha job."

"I didn't see you act so nice to any of the other kids. Was it the costume?"

Ace laughed a little, "Well, that helped. But honestly, I could swear I was _just_ like that when I was a kid. It was like... I was lookin' into a mirror from the past or somethin'. It was weird."

"So does that mean he's gonna grow up and be just like you? I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing." she joked.

"It's _obviously_ a good thing, Lex. Ya oughta know that."

Lexi only had time to laugh before the two of them were distracted by new fans. When she turned back to her own line, her attention was immediately drawn to a medium-size photograph that had already been placed on the table in front of her. Instead of being a promotional poster or a stock image that had been pulled off the internet, it was a real-life action shot. In a way, it seemed more amateur than most pictures, but the way it had been set up seemed to suggest a unique sense of professionalism. It was almost like she could fully relive the moment that had been captured just by looking at the picture.

The shot was taken about two or three months ago when a couple of hackers broke into the computer system at the Acmetropolis Military Weapons Base. Aside from stealing a significant quantity of the base's private documents, they also managed to gain remote control of about a handful of 20-foot robotic battle droids, most of which were sent rampaging through the streets. Naturally, when the police realized that they needed assistance, the Loonatics were called in to help. It was a rough time at first, considering how strong and seemingly indestructible they were, but Lexi quickly discovered that the type of energy that was emitted from her brain blasts was particularly effective at interfering with the droids' internal systems. Using her powers, she could stop the robots and render them useless without actually destroying them. And just like that, the team formulated a plan that put her at the forefront of the action.

This particular photo was taken in the middle of an empty (evacuated) street. Obviously Lexi was the main focal point of the shot and she looked as though she had just landed back on the ground after an impressive jump. Her landing pose was acrobatic to say it one way, with three of her limbs resting on the ground, and her body still in a kind of crouching stance. Her eyes, however, were facing straight ahead and glowing hot pink. A few lingering flares of pink energy could also still be seen on her ears, implying that she had just fired her shot, probably in mid-air. Several feet behind her, the droid stood facing the other direction with her teammates at its feet, helping to contain it. The droid's body was alive with electrical discharge and a few puffs of smoke could be seen escaping some of its joints. Lexi still considered this one of the finest moments of her career on this team, and to see it captured so well pretty much left her speechless.

"Wow.." she finally said, still not taking her eyes off the photo, "this picture is incredible!"

Lexi heard the girl before her answer, "Thanks. I took it myself..."

Instantly, a bell went off in Lexi's mind that made the photo seem like an afterthought. The girl's voice was so familiar... she recognized a tone that reminded her of a flower petal: soft, yet defined. A name slowly formed in her mind that came as a welcome surprise. Could it really be her? She figured there was only one way to find out and slowly turned her gaze from the photo to the girl opposite the table. She looked to be about Lexi's age, but stood a few inches shorter than her, and had a slightly lighter body frame. She had chestnut hair that hung just past her shoulders, and her golden-brown eyes were partly hidden by a pair of thin, black glasses. She knew she recognized that voice.

"...Amber...?"

"Hey Lexi." the girl smiled when she finally saw the recognition on her old friend's face.

"Oh my God, it's really you!" Lexi exclaimed. She immediately got up from her chair and the two girls hugged each other happily over the table. They spread apart only after a few good moments, "How long has it been?" she asked.

"Well, it depends on what you're counting," Amber answered with a laugh. "We haven't actually _seen_ each other since last summer. But technically, you _did_ text me last Christmas..."

"Has it really been that long?" Lexi gasped, "I'm sorry... I guess I've been kinda preoccupied."

"Don't worry, you don't have to apologize," she reassured her. "I'm pretty sure the stuff you've got going on is _a lot_ bigger than anything I've got to deal with."

Lexi only smiled again as the two of them went in for another hug. "It's really good to see you again," she said sweetly. After breaking apart for the final time, Lexi sat back down and brought attention back to what her friend had brought. "So, you said you actually took this picture?"

"Yeah! I'm guessing you like it?"

"Are you kidding, I love it! I always thought you were pretty good with a camera, but this is proof if I ever needed it."

"Thanks, but it was more luck than anything. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time. I'm actually planning on using it as part of my final project for my photography class, but I figured I _had_ to show it to you first. Plus, I figured that if I brought it to the autograph session, I could even get you to write something on it... if you don't mind," Amber smiled.

"Of course not, that's pretty much all I've been doing today, anyway!" Lexi laughed. "But for you, I'll see if I can come up with something special."

"Thanks!"

"No problem," she said cheerfully, as she started to write something down, making sure to leave plenty of room. "So if you're taking a photography class, does that mean you're still an art major?"

"Yep."

"How's that working out for you?"

"It's amazing, Lexi! It's almost like I get to do all the same sketching and doodling that I did before, except now it counts as homework! I'm practically spending 15 hours of college credit working in a sketchbook. So yeah, I couldn't be happier!"

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" Lexi teased, shaking her head. "Typical art nerd..."

"Hell yeah I'm an art nerd! Proud of it, too!" Both of them laughed. "But, you know, I _am_ trying to branch out a bit," she continued. "Since I've been taking this photography class, I've started becoming more interested in taking pictures of real people, and real places, and real things that are happening. I'm actually thinking about switching my minor to journalism and seeing if I can land a job as a photographer for a local newspaper or a magazine or something."

"That'd be pretty cool," Lexi commented, "and hey, if you keep landing shots like _this,_ I'm sure you won't have any problem finding a job."

"Thanks, I hope so too. I mean all those art classes keep me pretty busy, so it better be worth it." They both laughed again. "I'm pretty sure that if it weren't for the cheerleading squad, I wouldn't have a social life at all..."

Almost immediately after she finished, Amber realized that she had probably spoken a little too quickly. She knew that the cheerleading squad was still a bit of a sore spot for her, even after all this time.

But fortunately, even though there was a second of extra pause before she answered, her voice didn't sound troubled at all, "Oh you're still with the squad?" she asked. "That's cool! It's kinda funny though, you don't see many art nerds going for a pretty-girl sport like that."

"You know me, Lexi, I like being different. Besides, a lot of the girls are actually pretty cool about it. I even have a few of them in some of my art classes. They're not very good, but they try..."

Lexi laughed, much to Amber's relief. It was comforting to know that it seemed as if Lexi had mostly moved on after the ordeal they had gone through last year. They were both doing good, and that was all that she could have hoped for.

However, there was still one major issue that still needed to be resolved, and it had been bothering Amber for the past few months. In fact, it was part of the reason she had came to see Lexi in the first place. The thought of potentially opening up an old wound scared her, but she knew that it needed to be addressed. Besides, it seemed like the perfect opportunity had been set up for her since they had just reached a break in the conversation as Lexi continued to write her note. After a moment, she finally mustered up the strength to bring it up.

"Speaking of cheerleading..." she began with a bit of hesitation.

Lexi looked up.

"...umm... I brought some people here with me... and..." Amber's voice started to fail her as she couldn't think of a good way to bring it up. She ended up motioning her head lightly to her right in an attempt to just point it out.

Curiously, Lexi looked in the direction her friend had indicated and saw that she was telling the truth. A few feet behind her and to her right stood two blonde girls who could've only been about a year or two older than them at the most. They were whispering to each other and pointing at some of her teammates, Ace in particular since he was the closest. Lexi must've been so caught up in her reunion with Amber that she didn't notice them standing there. She looked at the two of them for a second, trying to figure out what was so familiar about them, when the girl on the left saw that she was looking at her, and offered a weak smile.

That's when Lexi put the pieces together. She couldn't come up with any names, but she recognized her, both of them in fact, as girls she met during last year's cheerleading auditions at Acme U. She remembered that the girl who smiled had seemed friendly enough when they first met, but it never lasted. Curiously, she couldn't really conjure up any specific memory about the other girl. Lexi didn't smile back, she couldn't really think of any reason why she should. Fortunately, the girl turned away before it seemed intentional. Part of her wanted to feel angry at the two of them, but deep down, she knew it was pointless. Even though they both ultimately became part of the problem, she saw them more as pawns than anything else. They were just powerless bystanders who just got caught up in the mix. No, she decided not to ruin the moment by feigning empty negative feelings for either of them. She kept in mind what Tech had told her earlier that day in the lab, the past was behind her.

"Yeah, I see you did," she finally responded somewhat dismissively, "they friends of yours?"

"Well... kinda..." Amber answered sheepishly, ''But actually, I wasn't talking about them... I think she's trying to hide from you..."

With another glance, Lexi suddenly understood why Amber sounded so hesitant. Standing a bit behind the two girls was a taller girl with long and curly black hair. Most of her length was in her arms and legs, and by looking at the curves of her body, it was easy to guess that she probably never had much trouble finding a date. However, today her face was free of the usual copious amounts of cosmetics and it seemed almost as if it revealed a strange vulnerability in her. It clashed with every memory she had of her being a confident and sassy individual. Her name was Tiffany, and Lexi's mood instantly darkened.

In the split-second it took to recognize her, a flood of different emotions filled Lexi's mind. Things like anger, sadness, resentment, guilt, pity, and surprise all seemed to fight for dominance in her head, but it seemed as though resentment was the strongest contender. Tiffany's eyes wandered the room flittingly as if she was trying to avoid looking at her, but it only took a second for her to realize that Lexi had finally found her, forcing their eyes to meet. Their gazes were locked rigidly for a moment as if they were both trying to register the situation, but Lexi's face quickly formed a scowl that startled her into looking away. Try as she might have, Tiffany wasn't someone that she could just reason herself into ignoring.

"Amber," Lexi finally said softly, "what's going on?"

"Listen, I know you two haven't seen each other in a while, but -"

"What is _she_ doing here?" she interrupted her with a bit more force in her voice, the bitterness beginning to show.

"Calm down, Lexi," Amber pleaded gently, "just give me a chance to explain."

Lexi realized that she had raised her voice, and decided to pull back a little. She wasn't angry with Amber, and she certainly didn't want it to seem that way.

"I know things have been kind of rocky between the two of you," she began, "but I think it's time we all moved on from this. Besides, she just came to apologize."

Lexi stole another quick glance at Tiffany, which she promptly avoided. "Doesn't look like it to me..." she said bitterly.

"I'm sure she's just a little nervous, that's all..." Amber defended her, but was a bit unsure herself, "and you two have been keeping this up for almost a whole year now. Don't you think it's time to give it a rest. I mean, you two used to be best friends..."

"Exactly, we _used_ to be best friends," Lexi answered bitingly. "Then I realized how selfish and shallow of a person she really was."

Amber sighed. She expected a struggle, but this was more difficult than she had hoped. "Look, I know things didn't end well between you and her, and she can't take back what she did, but believe me when I say that she really _does_ feel bad about what happened. I know you have a bit of a temper, but could you at least give her a chance to talk to you? It would really mean a lot... for both of us."

Lexi kept her head down as she wrestled with the idea. After a second, she picked up her head and took another look at her old friend who, to her surprise, was already looking at her. She must've been paying close attention to what she and Amber had been saying, waiting to see how she would react. The two ex-friends stared at each other intently once again, as if they were both waiting for the other one to make a move. As the seconds dragged on, Lexi's expression slowly started reverting into an intense and heated glare, almost on its own. For an instant, Tiffany's features softened, but she quickly hardened them back up and narrowed her own eyes in response, as if she was now angry with Lexi because _she_ was still so angry. Lexi's glare didn't let up though, and whatever little courage Tiffany had pulled together a second ago seemed to fall to pieces, leading her to finally drop her gaze. She looked at the floor for a bit, with eyes that seemed more conflicted and defeated than anything else now, before walking away, clutching her arms.

"Where's she going...?" Amber questioned with quiet disbelief, almost to herself.

"She hasn't changed at all..." Lexi said conclusively. Amber looked at her friend, visibly disappointed with what had just happened, prompting Lexi to defend her actions.

"Look," she spoke up calmly, "I know you only mean well, I really do... but it's just not that easy. It may not have seemed like that big a deal to you at the time, but it was for me. We were practically best friends ever since we were kids, and _she _was the one who decided to throw it all away, not me. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if I ever _will_ be able to forgive her..."

There was silence between them. Amber was clearly upset that things hadn't gone the way she had hoped, but strangely enough, part of her could almost understand why Lexi felt the way she did. Regardless, she still felt like she needed to say something...

"You know it doesn't do anyone any good to hold a grudge, right?" Lexi remained silent, so she continued. "I understand why you feel so strongly about this... but I want you to put yourself in her shoes for a moment. What she did wasn't right and she knows it. But don't you think that the last thing she needs is to see her old friend be so cold and unforgiving when she's only trying to set things right? I know it's not easy for you, especially with that stubborn, fiery temper of yours, but all I'm asking for you to do is let it go and move on. I know that you can find it in yourself to lay down your pride, at least just this once. Holding a grudge isn't going to solve anything..."

Lexi still kept quiet, but now she had much less resolve, and was more conflicted than ever. Amber did always have a way with words, and for the first time, she began to wonder if maybe such strong and negative feelings _weren't_ justifiable. Still, she didn't really know how to respond to her. She didn't want to say "no" and seem even more bull-headed than she already was, but at the same time, she didn't want to say "yes" because she thought that there was a good chance that she would just end up making a liar of herself. The last thing she wanted to do right now was lie to Amber. So how was she supposed to respond? Interestingly enough, a distraction appeared from out of the blue that kept her from having to make such a decision.

"Hey Lexi, can we ask you something...?"

The bunny was snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see that one of the other girls (the one who had smiled) had asked her the question. She was a bit annoyed at how oblivious the two of them seemed to be, but Lexi decided to go ahead and acknowledge them since they had provided a break from the tension.

"Yeah... what is it?" she asked, rather flatly.

The two of them giggled before she continued. "Okay so... are you and Ace, like... _together_, or something?"

Lexi gave a very loud sigh. She barely had enough patience for questions like this in the first place. She _certainly_ didn't have the patience now, _especially_ for those two.

"Let me make this perfectly clear," Lexi began ranting, "Ace and I are _**just friends!**_ We are _not_ dating... we are _not_ in some kind of weird relationship... and we do _not_ have feelings for each other! Why does everybody always have to assume that me and him have to like each other that way for some reason. _Just_ because we both happen to be bunnies, and _just_ because he happens to be a pretty good-looking guy, it doesn't mean that-"

"Ya think I'm a good-lookin' guy?" Ace interrupted her, clearly hearing what she had said.

Lexi stopped dead in her words as her face flushed bright red. That was not what she meant _at all__!_ But the damage had already been done, and the excessive cooing and giggling from the two girls only subjected her to further embarrassment.

"Wait... I didn't... that's not... he..." Lexi began stammering, but to no avail on the girls. For all they were concerned, Lexi had just given herself away, and there was no reason at all for them to hear about how she had simply gotten caught up in the moment. "Fine, _whatever!_" she burst out, "I've got a picture to finish signing..." With one last huff, she turned her complete attention back down to her unfinished writing. Out of the corner of her eyes, tough, she could still see the girls murmuring excitedly, and she wasn't sure, but she could swear that she saw Ace smirking as well.

_"Damn his impeccable comedic timing!" _she thought to herself. He just had to completely ruin another one of her moments with his light-hearted commentary, didn't he? He was definitely going to pay for that later.

But, also out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Amber appeared to be smiling as well. She figured that if anything good had come out of Ace's remark, it was that it had successfully cleared the tension in the air. It seemed that both of them were thankful for that, seeing as how neither of them wanted to end their reunion on a sour note. With that in mind, she picked up her marker and continued the thoughtful message she had started before. Now, she had thought of one last thing that she could add...

• • • • •

After a few more moments, Lexi finally felt satisfied with what she had written and offered back the photo. "That should do it!"

"Thanks again, Lexi," Amber responded kindly, taking the picture back. The words had been written on the upper-left corner of the image, written in small, fine handwriting. The few lines of text effectively covered up about a quarter of the entire picture. "This really means a lot."

"No problem at all, that's what friends are for. If anything, I should be thanking _you_ for showing up today."

Amber gave a small laugh. "Well, I guess that's everything. I probably shouldn't hold you up any longer..." she said as she glanced back at the still-crowded auditorium behind her. She was technically the last one in Lexi's line, but she had already spent a considerable amount of time there, and it looked like more people could be let onto the stage at any moment.

"Alright. Well, it was great seeing you again!" Lexi said, starting to wrap things up. "And hey, whenever I get a day or a night off sometime, you and I should totally hang out together!"

Amber laughed, "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. We could go shopping or go see a movie or something, just like old times!"

"Is your number still the same?"

"Yep."

"Great, then I'll definitely give you a call!"

"Sounds like a plan," Amber said with a smile. She was about to turn and leave, but she figured there was one more thing that needed to end with more resolve. "Oh, and one more thing..." she leaned in a little and dropped her voice a bit, "...could you at least _try?_"

Lexi immediately knew what she was referring to. "Amber..."

"Please, just promise that you'll give it a try... for me?"

She was still unsure about the whole thing, but she certainly didn't want to leave her friend disappointed in her, "Fine... I'll give it a shot..."

A genuine smile appeared on Amber's face as she leaned in closer and gave her friend a hug goodbye. "Thanks, Lexi. It was great seeing you."

"Same here," Lexi said sweetly, returning the hug. After a second, the two friends let go and Amber began walking away, the other two girls already having gotten a head start.

"Oh hey, make sure you text me later!" Amber called back.

"Okay, I will!" Lexi agreed with a smile as she watched her friend disappear into the crowd. When she realized that her line had actually been freed with her departure, she allowed herself a moment to relax. Her fans were great and all, but seeing a familiar face had really done a lot to pick up her spirits.

"So I'm guessin' she's a friend o' yours?

Lexi looked up to see that Ace was trying to start a conversation. His line was empty as well, and probably had been for a little while. She folded her arms, "I'm still mad at you, you know."

"Mad at me fer what? Makin' a joke?"

"I don't know... maybe for making me look like an _idiot!_"

"Hey, ya oughta be thankin' me. If I'd a let ya blow any more gaskets, ya mighta never been able ta calm down."

Lexi felt like arguing, but she knew he had a point. She didn't need to be told twice that she had a feisty temper. But she wasn't quite willing to prove Ace right at the moment, so she kept from saying anything.

"So who was that goil, anyway?" he asked.

"Her name's Amber," she responded, deciding to talk, "she's a good friend of mine. We knew each other back in high school, but we didn't really become friends until we saw each other in college."

"She seemed nice."

Lexi smiled, "Yeah, she can be a little shy sometimes, but she's a really nice person once you get to know her. She really helped me out through some tough times..."

"What about that otha goil, tha one with tha black hair that was kinda standin' by herself?"

Lexi's smile faded. She realized that Ace had been listening to a lot more of her conversation than she thought. "Oh... she's... no one, really..."

"Ya sure about that? It sounded like tha two o' ya knew each otha."

"Yeah... we actually used to be friends... but it's a long story."

"I see."

She paused for a second, "Ace... why do people have to change?"

Ace had to think about it for a minute, "Well, that's kind of a tricky question. Tha way I see it, people don't really change all that much... at least, not on their own. Instead, it's tha world that does all tha changing, all we do is respond. And ya know, seein' how a person responds ta all tha changes around them is a pretty good way ta know what kind of person they are..."

Lexi thought it over for a moment, eventually coming to a realization, "So... that means that I have to forgive her, huh?"

Before he could respond, both of their lines started filling up, drawing their attention elsewhere. With a head filled with new thoughts, Lexi turned to her next fan, eager for an autograph of his own.

• • • • •

"Wow! I'm-so-glad-that-you-guys-actually-made-it!" Rev proclaimed happily.

"Are you kidding? There's no way we would've missed this!" Alex answered.

Just as he had hoped, three of Rev's closest friends from High School - Alex, Kurt, and Jessica - were standing on the other side of the table, paying their old friend a visit. The oldest one in the group was Kurt who happened to be in the same class year as Rev. He was also the tallest among the three of them and had lengthened sandy-blonde hair. At the moment, he was busy writing something on the back of a photograph, using Alex's back as a backboard. Alex was a tiger anthro and was the same age as Rev, although he actually belonged to the grade below him. Jessica was the youngest out of all of them, one year younger than Rev and Alex, and was also the shortest. Her long black hair was decorated with a blue headband and she was carrying something that, for now, was kept hidden behind her back.

"Did you think we'd forget?" Kurt asked.

"Well-we-don't-get-to-hang-out-all-that-much-anymore..."

"So?" Jessica said with a smile, "we're still your friends, you know."

"Here, we got you something..." Kurt said as he finished whatever he was writing and handed the photo to Rev. It was given to him with the back-side facing up, displaying that all three of them had signed it, along with personal notes of congratulations and friendship. Since he knew he'd have plenty of time to read through them later, he quickly flipped the photo over to its front to see the image. The picture was of the four of them posing and smiling for the camera in their bathing suits on the beach. It looked pretty typical, but there was a fun story behind it.

"Do you remember that? It's the picture we took that day when school got cancelled and we all ended up spending the day at the beach. You always used to tell me how much you liked that picture, so..." Jessica explained.

"Of-course-I-remember! That-day-was-so-much-fun-and-it-really-meant-a-lot-to-me-since-I-used-to-be-working-so-much-back-then-and-I-could-hardly-ever-find-time-to-hang-out-with-you-guys-outside-of-school-so-it-was-amazing-that-we-ended-up-having-all-that-extra-time-together!" Rev remembered fondly.

"So you should be thankful that I mixed the wrong stuff in Chemistry class that day!" Alex boasted, crossing his arms with a cheesy grin.

"...and caused a small explosion that caused hundreds of dollars of damage to lab equipment, and spilled huge amounts of poisonous gasses into the hallways, potentially putting hundreds of people in danger and forcing an evacuation of the school where the police, the fire department, _and_ the bomb squad were all called in for safety precautions...?" Kurt matter-of-factly included what Alex had conveniently left out.

"Well, you're not supposed to put it like _that_..." Alex defended.

"Speaking of school," Jessica moved on, "we got you something else you might like!" she handed him the item that was held behind her back, revealing it to be a folded, medium-size sheet of poster board. Opening it up, the page was dominated with the words "WE LOVE REV RUNNER!" in thick and bold red lettering. The words were completely surrounded by countless signatures and notes written and scribbled in all kinds of colors and sizes.

"Yeah, me and Jessica passed that around at school, and ended up getting a crap-load of signatures," Alex said, Jessica nodding in agreement. "We were expecting a few, but we got a lot more than we could've imagined..."

"Wow...thanks-guys!" Rev said with genuine amazement, "But-you-didn't-have-to-go-to-all-this-trouble-just-for-me..."

"No, it wasn't trouble at all! Trust me dude, you're like a _celebrity_ at school now!"

"Really?"

"Yeah," Alex continued, "I mean, you were always a pretty nice guy, so people _already_ liked you. But then, you actually got _superpowers?_ And ended up joining a team of _superheroes? _You can't tell me that's not cool! To think, a real superhero graduated from _our_ school... it only makes sense that you have a lot of fans there..."

"To-be-fair-I-didn't-_actually_-graduate."

"But it was only two months away," Jessica insisted, "an you _were_ one of the honor students."

"Didn't they send you like an honorary diploma or something?" Kurt asked him.

"Yeah-they-sent-it-to-me-in-the-mail-a-few-months-ago-along-with-a-letter-saying-that-they-were-going-to-go-ahead-and-let-me-have-my-diploma-so-I-guess-I-really-did-graduate-even-though-I-technically-didn't-graduate-which-is-a-really-good-thing-because-you-know-in-the-off-chance-that-this-super-hero-thing-doesn't-last-forever-I-would-have-to-get-a-real-job-someday-and-it-would've-been-hard-for-me-to-find-anything-since-no-one-would've-thought-that-I-even-finished-high-school-and-it-also-would've-made-it-_ really_-hard-for-me-to-just-go-to-Acme-Tech-like-I-wanted-to-do-before-and-develop-my-inventing-skills-and-I-know-I'm-probably-just-overthinking-this-since-there's-probably-no-reason-why-I-wouldn't-be-a-superhero-from-now-on-but-you-know-what-they-say-it's-better-to-be-safe-than-sorry."

His friends just looked at him for a second, only having heard bits and pieces of what had just rushed out of Rev's mouth. "Man," Alex finally answered, "I'm _still_ not used to how fast you can talk..." They all laughed.

"It's-really-good-to-see-you-guys-again..." he repeated as if making sure that his friends knew how much he appreciated them showing up. Even though he was perfectly content with his new life as a Loonatic, this group was certainly one of the things he missed most about his old one.

"Oh, that reminds me," Jessica said, pulling a camera out of her pocket, "I wanted to make sure and get a picture of the four of us before we left today! C'mon guys, huddle up!" She began walking around the table to get closer to Rev on the other side.

"Jeez, Jessica, what is it with you and that camera?" Kurt remarked.

"Lighten up, it's just a picture... and since we're all here, we might as well," Alex argued, walking over to join the others.

"Alright, alright, but let's just try and get it right the first time, okay?" Kurt wasn't much for taking pictures, but considering the situation, he didn't need a whole lot of convincing. Once he had joined his friends, the four of them huddled together as Jessica held out her camera in front of them and snapped the shot. They all looked at the image that appeared on the camera display, and were instantly satisfied. They were all together, smiling and happy. Rev thought that he actually might've liked it more than the beach photo for some reason.

"I'll make sure and send it to you later," Jessica promised after noticing the smile forming on Rev's face.

"Great!" he answered.

"Well Rev," Kurt began as they walked back over to the other side of the table, "it's been fun seeing you again, but we've gotta get going..."

"Aww-already?" Rev asked curiously.

""Yeah, I've got a job interview in a couple of hours, so I need to start getting dressed..." he answered.

"And it's my older brother's birthday today, so our whole family's going out to eat tonight," Jessica added.

"That's-cool. I'm-just-glad-that-you-guys-could-come-out-and-see-me!"

"Oh, and one more thing before we leave," Alex made sure to include, "Are you busy this weekend?"

Rev thought about it for a moment, "Well-I-can't-say-for-sure-because-it-mostly-just-depends-on-whether-or-not-we-have-a-mission-and-if-we-do-how-important-it-is-but-I-guess-I-_might_-be-free. Why?"

"We were hoping that all of us could get together and go watch that new movie that's coming out... _'The Bloodening!'_"

Rev's face lit up, "Oh-you-mean-that-movie-where-that-guy-who-has-no-legs-goes-around-with-a-hacksaw-and-starts-trying-to-cut-off-other-people's-legs-in-their-sleep-so-he-can-wear-them-as-his-own-and-use-them-to-get-revenge-on-the-guy-who-took-his-legs-in-the-first-place?" Alex nodded. "Man-that-movie-looks-AWESOME!"

"I know dude, that's why you should come with us! And now that Jessica's seventeen, we can all get into an R-rated movie without having to go through the trouble of sneaking her in! So what do you think, you up for it?"

Rev liked the idea, and tried to think of a way he could give a hopeful answer. "Well... I-can't-promise-anything-but-maybe-I-can-have-a-talk-with-Zadavia-and-see-if-she'll-let-me-have-the-night-off. I'm-sure-she'll-be-fine-with-it-as-long-as-no-major-_end-of-the-world-crisis-_comes-up."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Alex was satisfied.

"Just try to let us know as soon as you can, okay Rev?" Kurt added.

"No-problemo!" he chimed back.

"Great, we'll see you soon, Rev." Kurt finished, beginning to walk away.

"Bye Rev! Miss you already!" Jessica boomed back with a cheerful wave before following Kurt.

"Bye-Kurt! Bye-Jessica!"

"Take it easy, Rev," Alex said while bumping his friend's fist.

"You-too!"

And with that, Rev watched his old friends vanish back into the crowd. Inside he was really hoping that his movie plans would fall through... being part of the team had a tendency of messing with things like that. But even if he couldn't make it, he was sure that he'd see them again soon enough. It felt good for him to know the four of them were still good friends, even with his absence.

"_Someone's_ pretty popular today, huh?" Tech commented next to him.

Rev turned to face the coyote, now noticing that he had been watching them, since his line was empty. Rev's line was empty now too, so he was happy to talk. "What-makes-you-say-that?" he asked.

Tech pointed to the signed poster board Rev had sitting beside his chair.

"Oh-that? That's-just-something-that-got-passed-around-at-my-old-school. It's-nothing-special-really..."

"Nothing special?" Tech repeated with polite disbelief as he took a closer look at the poster. "Rev, there must be well over a hundred different signatures on this thing. Seems like something pretty special to me."

Rev was trying his best to maintain a sense of modesty, "Yeah... I-guess-it-is-pretty-nice. But-it-really-doesn't-matter-to-me-how-many-signatures-I-got-or-even-if-I-got-any-at-all. I'd-be-perfectly-happy-with-just-seeing-a-few-friendly-faces!"

"Come to think of it, you've actually had a lot of _those_ too."

"You-think-so?" Rev asked casually.

Tech was almost taken aback at how lightly Rev was taking all of his recognition. Apparently, it would've been a bigger deal for him that it was for the road runner. "Of course," he answered, "you've had people like that coming in all day. Seems like every twenty or thirty minutes, you get a group of your old friends who are all eager to talk about old times and take pictures with you and stuff..."

"Yeah. I-guess-you're-right," Rev admitted, "but-that-doesn't-mean-that-all-of-them-were-actual-friends-of-mine. In-fact-most-of-them-were-just-people-I-would-say-hi-to-in-the-hallways-or-have-polite conversations-with-every-now-and-then. You-know, just-people-I-was-nice-to."

"But _that's_ the thing," Tech said, finally realizing himself why it seemed like such a big deal to him. "You're really a pretty likable guy, Rev. So all you have to do is be nice to everyone, and it's easy for you to make friends. That says a lot about you, and you should be proud of it! In fact, it almost makes me wish that I had made more of an effort towards making friends back when I was in school."

"You-mean-high-school?"

Tech laughed, "Any school, really..."

"Oh-come-on-now-Tech-you've-gotta-be-exaggerating-because-I-remember-that-you-used-to-be-one-of-the-biggest-names-floating-around-Acme-Tech! I'll-bet-you-made-_all-kinds_-of connections-and-knew-_all-sorts_-of-interesting-people-and-I'm-more-than-sure-that-at-least-_some_-of-them-have-shown-up-so-far-to-see-you." Rev sounded confident.

"You might think so... but the truth is, I haven't gotten a single person like that all day." Tech revealed with a somewhat contradictory smile.

"Really?" Rev asked with a bit of disbelief, his optimism beginning to drop. "Not even one?"

Tech shook his head, "I've had plenty of fans who seem to like me enough now, and I've met a few people who said they had a class or two with me in college, but other than that, I don't think I've met even one person so far who I can honestly say was an actual friend of mine _before_ all of this happened..."

"How-come?" Rev asked with honest curiosity.

Tech smiled again. His smiles were becoming more and more passive, as if he was only doing so because he preferred it over frowning. "Like I've said before, I've never been a very 'likeable' guy... or at least that's what everyone else thought. In grade school, they thought I was a nerd... in high school, they thought I was a loner... in college, they thought I worked myself too hard... and in grad school, they actually hated me because a lot of professors liked me the most... People felt a lot of different ways about me, but no matter how they spun it, not very many people ever thought of me as a _friend_.

Silence lingered between them as Rev thought about what he was being told. Tech continued, "And you know, I can't help but think that maybe if I had been a little more like _you_ while I was in school, maybe _I'd_ be the one having old friends come by, wanting to take a picture..."

That's when a new thought occurred to Rev, "Hey... I-know-something-that'll-help-cheer-you-up!"

"Hmmm...?" Tech raised his eyebrow, without a whole lot of enthusiasm.

"You-said-that-all-you-wanted-was-for-a-friend-to-take-a-picture-with-you-right?"

"Well, that's one way to put it... I guess."

"Well-I-have-a-camera," he announced, pulling one out of his pocket, "so-why-don't-we-just-take-a-picture-right-now-so-you-won't-feel-so-down!"

Tech offered a small laugh, "I appreciate the thought Rev, but in retrospect, that's not really what I'm-"

"_C'mon..._ it'll be fun!" Rev insisted, interrupting him.

"I..."

"Too-late! I'm-already-starting!" In the blink of an eye, Rev had zoomed himself by Tech's side and held out his camera in front of them. "Alright, say-cheese!" he instructed, smiling widely. Tech was still trying to adjust himself to this sudden turn of events as well as Rev's sudden display of friendship. When the camera flashed, he knew he had reacted somehow, but he wasn't sure if it made for a good picture.

Just as quickly as he had come, Rev raced back to his own seat and analyzed the new image on his camera display. "Hey-this-looks-pretty-nice..." he finally said after a second or two. "I-can't-wait-to-put-this-up-on-my-blog-later! Here-take-a-look!"

Tech took the camera from Rev, fearing the worst (he never really took a good picture) but was surprised to see a somewhat decent photo. Rev was smiling gleefully - as expected - and Tech was relieved to see that he had actually managed a smile as well. It was a small one, and it was pretty easy to tell that he wasn't expecting the camera, but it seemed genuine nonetheless. Behind the two of them, you could see each of their teammates busy with their own fans. "Actually, it _is_ pretty good..." Tech finally admitted.

"Yeah! And-now-you-can't-say-that-you-didn't-get-to-take-a-picture-with-a-friend-because-that's-what-we-just-did-and-I-even-did-you-one-better-because-instead-of-it-being-a-picture-with-an-_old_-friend-you-got-a-picture-with-a-_new_-friend-which-makes-it-a-lot-more-special-if-you-ask-me."

After hearing what he had to say, Tech was actually at a loss for words. It took him a minute to realize that what Rev just did had actually gotten through to him. And what amazed him even more was that it didn't even seem like Rev was aware of it himself. He was just trying to make him feel better, so he took a picture with him. And now, Tech really _did_ feel better, but it wasn't because of the picture, rather it was what Rev had just non-chalantly said that seemed to matter so much more. Whether or not it was completely intentional, Tech was content. "Yeah... I guess you're right..." he finally responded with a small chuckle.

That's when the two of them noticed the guards letting more people onto the stage. The main lines in the crowd weren't stretching out through the doors anymore, so it looked like the end was finally in sight. As their personal lines started filling up again, they both returned their attention to the newcomers, just as they had been doing before. But one thing was different now... the smile on Tech's face wasn't forced in any way.

"Thanks Rev..."

"Anytime-buddy!"

• • • • •

The five of them were standing outside of the auditorium now, with the carnival in full swing all around them. Laughter and chatter filled the air as kids ran around dragging their parents to different rides, families and couples walked in every direction looking at all of the attractions, and booth owners stood outside of their booths, trying to coax passerbys into giving their game a try.

The fan session had just ended and Ace was off somewhere once again, speaking some of the event coordinators who still needed to talk to him before the group was let go. The rest of the team was waiting for him outside the building, all of them either rubbing or stretching out their hands.

"Oh great, now I have blisters..." Lexi grumbled, looking over her fingers.

Tech gave his writing hand a shake, "I haven't written that much since my old research papers on quantum mechanics..."

"Uh-huuhh!" Slam agreed.

"Well at least it's finally over," Duck pointed out to the rest of the group. "Does anyone have the time?"

"Let's see... it's-about-a-quarter-past-three!" Rev chirped after locating a nearby clock.

"A quarter past three!" Duck repeated dramatically. "That means we were in there signing autographs for _three_ whole hours!"

"I guess the two hour time slot they gave us didn't exactly pan out, huh?" Lexi joked.

"Joke all you want, sister, but we're still out three hours of time we could've spent stuffing our faces with carnival food," Duck responded flatly. "I don't know about any of you guys, but I am _starving!_"

Slam said something that was hard to understand, but it was easy to tell that he agreed with Duck.

"Actually, I'm pretty hungry too, " Lexi admitted, her stomach growling. "It probably wasn't the best idea to skip lunch..."

"Don't-worry-guys-I'm-sure-that-we-can-all-go-grab-something-to-eat-once-Ace-gets-back!"

"Yeah, speaking of Ace, where is he off to now?" Duck wondered out loud in accusing voice. "And why does it seem like we're always waiting on him?"

"Chill Duck," Lexi intruded, "he's just talking to some people right now. He should be back any minute now."

"Well, he better hurry up! The recognition ceremony is in just two hours and I don't wanna waste it all standing here."

"Actually, there he is now," Tech pointed out. The group turned to the entrance of the auditorium and saw Ace coming through the doors, walking up to them. "What's the news, chief?" he asked out loud.

"Well foist off, they wanna apologize fer goin' so far ova time. See, they had a lot more people than they expected show up, and since they had all paid ta be there, they didn't wanna stop before everyone had gotten a chance ta be on stage."

"Well, that's really no big deal," Lexi pointed out. "Sure it took a while, but I for one had a lot of fun!"

"Yeah," Tech agreed, "it's pretty cool to finally get to see what kind of people our fans are."

"Well, I'm glad you guys feel that way, 'cuz that's pretty much what I told 'em," Ace remarked. "And also, since some of us got gifts from some o' tha fans, they're sending a guy ta drop all of it off at HQ fer us so we don't have ta carry anything around."

"Cool. Anything else?" Lexi asked.

"Nope. Otha than that, we're free ta go! Now we've got two full hours o' free time before we have to be at tha Recognition Ceremony."

"Alright," Duck spoke up, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm about to high-tail it straight to the food court! You guys comin' or what?"

Slam licked his lips excitedly. He was definitely going with Duck.

"Actually," Tech answered, "I have to go and deliver the ride I finished this morning. I told the officials that I'd have it set up by three, so I'm _already _behind schedule."

"Hey-do-you-mind-if-I-went-with-you-Tech? I-can't-wait-to-see-the-look-on-everyone's-faces-when-you-show-them-the-_Loona-Loop!_"

"Sure, if you want. You sure you're not hungry though? I'm not sure how long it'll take..."

"Don't-worry-about-it-I-can-wait-besides-I-made-sure-to-eat-something-before-we-left-just-in-case-we-got-held-up!"

"Smart thinking," he commended, "And hey, I could probably use your speed anyway. I'm gonna have to set this thing up pretty quick to make up for lost time."

"You-can-count-on-me-Tech!"

Duck turned to the two bunnies, "Well I guess it looks like it's just us four. C'mon, if we hurry, we can still get there before they run out of all the good stuff."

"Actually Duck, I'm gonna have ta meet up with ya later. I gotta split too..."

"What? Why?" Duck asked disappointingly. All of his teammates were bailing on him.

"Don't ya remembah? I told ya that I was supposed ta be meetin' someone today. We're just gonna go grab somethin' to eat ourselves."

"Oh right," Duck remembered, "you're supposed to meet that _girlfriend_ of yours, huh?"

"I already told ya that she's _not_ my goilfriend." Ace answered somewhat annoyed.

"Yeah yeah, don't worry about it. I read ya _loud and clear_..." he winked and gave Ace a playful nudge.

Ace could only bring himself to sigh, "Yeah sure..." Then he turned to Lexi, "Hey Lex, you wanna come with me? Me and her were gonna try that new carrot soup they got ovah at tha otha end o' tha fairgrounds. You like that stuff, don't ya?"

Lexi had to think about it for a second. On one hand, Ace had just confirmed that he was in fact meeting a girl, so she couldn't help but feel like she might end up being an intrusion. But on the other hand, she knew that Ace wouldn't have asked her to come with him to something personal like that unless he really felt like he needed her there. It was a tricky situation, but she eventually conceded, "Sure... I'll come with you..." It also helped that she did in fact like carrot soup.

"Fine, you guys would just end up slowing us down anyway!" Duck spoke out. "Come on Slam, let's hit the food court! I'm starving..."

"Uh-huuhh!" Slam agreed as the two of them began walking away, leaving the other four behind.

"So, if we don't meet up before then..." Tech began.

"Just make sure that yer at tha Central Plaza by about 5:00," Ace finished.

"Got it! See you two later."

And with that, the three groups separated from each other, each headed for their own unique part of the festival.

* * *

><p><strong>Well that was it! What did you think?<strong>

**For this chapter, I really spent a lot of time on revising and editing, so I'm hoping that I managed to clean it up pretty good. But in case you saw any mistakes, keep in mind that its very easy to miss something with this much text...**

**So anyway, in the next chapter we get to see some of the stuff that's going on at the festival. Hopefully, I can get it out before the end of July and keep between 9,000-13,000 words at most, but I guess I can't promise anything. THEN, when we get to the chapter after _that_, we finally get to our first "detailed backstory". And believ me, that's when it's gonna really start getting good ;)**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! _Please_ leave me a review telling me what you thought. I love reviews! Also, keep an eye out for the next chapter! If you're ever curious as to how it's coming along, feel free to check my channel. I update it regularly with my progess on the next chapter.**

**'Till next time!**


	4. The Festival (pt 1)

**How long's it been? Three months? Well, it was a slightly shorter wait than last time... but I definitely need to start working on my procrastination issues. **

**Anyway, here's the next chapter! One of the first things you might've noticed is that this chapter is actually shorter than the last two. _No_, I didn't keep my goal of making this chapter shorter... in fact, it's quite the opposite. This chapter ended up being so long that I felt it would be best for me to split it up into two parts, not only for the sake of length, but also because I've been _really_ anxious to get something out to you guys for the past couple of weeks. As it is, I'm _almost_ done with the full chapter, but it's still gonna take a few days. That being said, you can expect part two up somewhere between Friday and Sunday/Monday at the latest.**

**But hey, all of my future chapters were going to end up being split into two-part segments anyway, so this is like good practice for me =P**

**This chapter is basically set-up for everything that happens in the next chapter (mostly.) The Loonatics have split up into groups of two and are doing various things at the Festival. There's not a whole lot that happens plot-wise (most of that will come in during part two), but we do get to see some more character development. I honestly think this chapter could've come out a little better, but I'm mostly just happy that its out. I think part two is the better half of this little story arc though, if I do say so myself.**

**Also, be prepared for science. Just giving you guys fair warning...**

**I should probably stop rambling... enjoy the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in relation to Loonatics Unleashed except for the plot of this story. Don't take me to court, you have no case.**

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 4 – The Festival (pt. 1)<strong>

"So-are-ya-really-gonna-give-one-of-'em-a-call?"

Rev's question seemed to snap Tech out of his musings.

The two of them had reached the outskirts of an area known as _The Circuit_ which was the designated section of the fairgrounds that housed all the various rides and attractions. They hadn't even reached the heart of the area, but already the grounds were alive with colors, music, and the exuberance of energetic youth. The atmosphere was certainly inviting, but as much as they would have loved to explore all of what _The Circuit_ had to offer, the two Loonatics were on a mission. Somewhere in the midst of all this commotion, a spot sat reserved for a brand new ride, exclusive to this festival only – _The Loona-Loop V3 –_ and it was their job to deliver it.

They were walking at a fairly relaxed pace even though they were technically running behind schedule. They would've been more rushed, but they were enjoying the sights around them as well as each other's company, and had been keeping up a steady conversation ever since they separated from the rest of the team. They could never seem to stay focused on any particular topic, but there were a few things that they spent a little more time on, such as what they needed to do upon the ride's delivery and what they could possibly do when they were finished. They spent some time talking about the ride itself once Rev not only pointed out how peculiar it was that Tech was carrying a shrunken-down version of a 50ft. Ferris Wheel in his backpack, but also wondered aloud how the machine could be kept safe while being carried around in such a manner (apparently, it was secured in a special carrying case.)

They also spent some time exchanging some of their experiences while signing autographs at the fan session, but their dialogue strangely hit a bit of a lull once Rev brought up the group of girls who had gone to see Tech, a few of them giving him their phone numbers. Tech impulsively pulled the pink piece of paper out of his pocket and ended up staring at it for a while, losing himself in his own thoughts. It took another question from Rev to snap him back to the conversation.

"Oh… uh… I – I don't know…" he finally replied after a second.

"Huh? What-do-ya-mean-you-don't-know?"

"I mean exactly what you think I mean. I was only half-serious when I asked for these…"

"Well-whether-or-not-you-wanted-them-you-got-'em-now-Tech-and-honestly-I-don't-get-why-sound-so-unsure-of-yourself-because-it-looked-to-me-like-those-girls-really-liked-you."

A small chuckle managed to escape the coyote, his cheeks reddening just a little. "I guess they did, didn't they…?"

"Absolutely! I-mean-if-I-were-you-I-wouldn't-even-_think_-of-passing-up-on-an-opportunity-like-this. It's-practically-a-sure-thing!"

"You're probably right, Rev… but…"

_"But…"_

Tech rubbed the back of his neck, "…I haven't really had a whole lot of experience with girls."

"What? Seriously?" Rev asked, a bit bewildered.

"I don't get why you're so surprised. You're talking to the guy who hardly had any friends growing up, remember? Why would you think my 'love life' would be any different?"

"I-don't-know… I-guess-I-just-figured-you-had-_some_-experience…"

"Oh no—no-no-no," Tech was quick to clear up, "don't get me wrong, I'm not completely hopeless or anything. I mean… I've dated _a few_ girls in the past. It's just that none of them ever really seemed to work out…" His voice faltered by the end of what he said as he couldn't help but recall one person in particular, someone from his past who had once (and still has) had a big impact on his life. Unfortunately, like many others, that story hadn't ended on a particularly happy note. Of course, all of this happened a long time ago, and nowadays he tried to focus more on the pleasant memories and the positives that came out of it, rather than wallowing in what could have been.

As quickly as they had come, he pushed the thoughts out of his mind, hoping that nothing had shown on his face to give him away. He remembered talking to Rev a few times about it before, but even he didn't know _every_ detail. It was unclear whether or not the runner managed to pick up on what might've been causing his friend's slight hesitation, but if he had, he chose to overlook it.

"Well… let's-think-about-it-this-way. How-long-has-it-been-since-you-last-went-out-with-someone?"

He had to think about that one, "…about… two years ago… _which isn't that bad_ considering I've been pretty busy with this whole 'superhero' thing for the past year…"

Rev kept it to himself, but he found Tech's defensiveness amusing. "Then-you-just-have-to-ask-yourself-how-much-has-changed-since-then. Are-you-the-same-person-you-were-two-years-ago-Tech?"

"…no," He eventually admitted with a hint of realization, "I guess not."

"Then-what've-you-got-to-worry-about? Even-if-the-'old-you'-had-some-trouble-with-girls-that-doesn't-mean-that-the-'new-you'-has-to-be-the-same-way-in-fact-I-think-that-the-'new-you'-stands-a-much-better-chance-at-this-sort-of-thing-now-that-the-'new-you'-isn't-the-'old-you'-anymore."

Tech looked back down at his slip of paper, taking a moment to digest what Rev was trying to say. "I guess… Tara _did_ seem kind of nice…"

Rev gave his friend a few exaggerated pats on the back, "That's-the-spirit-so-long-as-you-just-be-yourself-I'm-sure-you'll-have-no-trouble-at-all! What've-you-got-to-lose?"

His friend smiled softly back at him, "You know what, Rev? I think you just might've convinced me. I guess I can find some time to make a phone call or two in the next couple of days. Isn't that the rule?"

"Eh… something-like-that."

"Good, that'll give me plenty of time to figure out what to say."

"Don't-worry-it's-not-as-hard-as-you-think!"

"Says _you_…"

"Are-you-implying-something-Tech?" Rev accused playfully.

"No, of course not…" Tech teased back with a smirk.

"I'm-serious-though-it-really-is-easy-and-you-can-trust-me-on-that-one-for-sure-because-if-there's-anyone-you-should-ask-about-what-to-say-around-a-lady-it's-me!"

"Right… and why should I believe you?"

"Because-I-have-a-little-thing-called-_experience_."

"No offense Rev, but a hyperactive eighteen-year-old can only have so much experience."

"Well-no-offense-_Tech_-but-I-probably-have-more-experience-than-_you…_"

Tech found himself laughing before he could think of another comeback. He might've actually taken something like that personally if it had been anyone other than one of his own teammates. "It's hard to argue with logic like that…" Both of them laughed.

"I'm-mean-it-though," Rev said after a moment in a more genuine tone, "if-you-ever-feel-like-you-need-someone-to-talk-to-about-stuff-like-this-you-can-always-come-to-me-because-I'm-free-to-talk-whenever-wherever-and-however-anyone-wants-and-I-know-I-may-not-make-the-most-convincing-'Romeo'-but-I-do-know-a-thing-or-two-so-you-never-know-maybe-there's-a-way-I-can-help-you-out."

Tech didn't answer right away as he thought about Rev's proposal. On one hand, he couldn't help but feel that someone else (Ace, perhaps) might be a better person to approach for whatever "girl troubles" he might have. But on the other – perhaps more convincing – hand, he had to admit that he would probably find it easier to confide more fully in Rev. Before he could answer though, the runner had mistaken his silence for uncertainty and offered another suggestion.

"And-if-it-still-feels-like-you-need-some-help-trying-to-figure-out-what-to-say-I'd-be-more-than-happy-to-be-there-when-you-make-the-call-to-feed-you-lines-or-even-provide-moral-support-if-you-want."

Tech chuckled dismissively. He was willing to confide in someone who was four years younger than him, but he wasn't quite desperate… at least… not yet, anyway. "I appreciate the offer Rev, but I think this is one of those things that I should probably handle on my own."

"Eh… suit-yourself. But-you're-missing-out…"

The two of them continued to argue jokingly over this so-called "experience" that Rev may or may not have actually had for another minute or two before something in the distance ahead caught the runner's eye. "Hey-is-that-it-over-there?" he questioned aloud, pointing to a large-size clearing that sat several feet away.

He had been told that the area would be adorned with both a sign and a large banner, but it was difficult to see either of those things clearly at this distance, so he instead scanned the surroundings. To the left of the clearing, there stood a large imposing drop tower, complete with a handful of passengers screaming upon the ride's free fall. To the right and somewhat in front of the clearing stood a modestly-sized arena that held the bumper cars, covered with a patio-like roof and surrounded by various greenery and rest benches.

"It looks like it," he finally confirmed, seeing that the surroundings matched the description he had been given earlier. "Come on, we're already running late enough as it is." With that, the two of them picked up their pace into a steady jog as they advanced towards the clearing.

Once Tech had a better view, he got the confirmation he needed to know he was in the right place. Nestled in the right-most side of the clearing, sat a large, taped-off, rectangular plot of land where the ride was intended to be stationed. In front of the plot, a long, ribbon-like banner displayed the words _"Future site of the Loona-Loop V3"_ which was also complimented by a nearby triangular green sign that read, _"Brand new ride designed and built by Tech E. Coyote!"_ The banner and sign together also seemed to mark the front of a makeshift line of gathered people. Judging from the respectable size, they were most likely fans who were waiting eagerly to ride something that had been built by the team's very own technician. Once the two Loonatics passed by, the quiet murmuring amongst them began to steadily grow louder as some individuals started pointing them out.

Rev practically ate up the attention he was getting from them, smiling proudly and even waving at the ones who seemed the most bent on getting their attention. Tech felt a similar excitement, but tried his best to keep a lower profile. _"How long have they been waiting?"_ he thought to himself. _"Were they really that excited just to see what I came up with?"_ Such thoughts breathed an air of both curiosity and self-satisfaction into him, but he tried not to let it affect him too much. Instead he focused his attention somewhere more important. To the side of the reserved plot, there stood a sharply-dressed gentleman who was currently finishing up a conversation with a few of his own cohorts before he noticed the two of them. This was the man that they were supposed to meet.

"Well, it's about time…" the man began only half-seriously once Tech and Rev had caught up to him. He turned to the inventor, "You're thirty minutes late. What's with the hold-up?"

"My apologies, sir," Tech answered very formally, "but the autograph session ran longer than originally planned. We got here as soon as we could."

"Which-I'm-sure-you're-well-aware-of-seeing-as-how-you-were-right-there-with-us-which-really-makes-me-wonder-how-did-you-get-here-so-fast-to-be-the-one-waiting-on-us-since-you-couldn't-have-left-that-much-earlier-than-we-did-and-you-couldn't-have-been-walking-that-much-faster-than-us-even-though-we-really-weren't-walking-very-fast-ourselves-but-were-still-very-prompt!"

The two of them looked at Rev for a moment curiously before the man finally answered, "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Weren't-you-the-one-who-introduced-us-at-the-fan-session-just-a-moment-ago? Aren't-you-Mr.-Grant?"

The man furrowed his brow in confusion until clarity eventually relaxed his face. "Oh, now I see what the problem is…" he said as he let out a small chuckle.

"I-don't!"

"Rev," Tech explained, "the man who spoke onstage with us was Mr. _Adam_ Grant. _This _is Mr. _Joseph_ Grant, his twin brother. While Adam is the one in charge of planning most of the events and ceremonies, Joseph is the one managing all the rides and attractions. He's the one who called me yesterday asking me to build a ride for the festival."

"Ooohhhhhhhh… sorry-about-the-mix-up-sir-it's-just-that-I-didn't-know-who-you-were-and-to-be-honest-you-look-exactly-like-your-brother-which-makes-sense-since-you-guys-are-twins-except-for-the-fact-that-your-voice-is-a-little-deeper-and-now-that-I-mention-it-you-might-be-a-little-_heavier _-than-your-brother-which-isn't-to-say-that-you-look-fat-or-anything-it's-just-to-say-that—" In one quick motion, Tech halted the runaway flow of words by clamping the runner's beak shut with his hand.

To their relief, the manager simply laughed. "I see your reputation as a motor-mouth isn't without reason." Once his beak had been freed, he chuckled politely in response, slightly embarrassed. "Don't worry about it kid, I get that all the time," he offered as a consolation before returning to the original topic. "So anyway, Tech, I presume that even though I can't see it right now, you've brought your 'invention' with you…"

"Absolutely," he assured with a confident grin, "and you won't be disappointed sir, I can promise you that."

"Good, good…" Mr. Grant's features grew puzzled as if he was expecting some sort of explanation that Tech was supposed to enlighten him with. "So… where is it?"

"Oh, yes of course," Tech said as he started slipping off his backpack. "I've been keeping it nice and safe in here."

Mr. Grant was only further confused, "I'm not sure I follow…"

"Not to worry, just give us a minute to work our magic and everything will make sense." As he started to open his bag, he turned to his partner, "Rev…"

At the mention of his name, Rev sprung into an overplayed stance of attention, with his back straight, his chest puffed out slightly, and his hand raised in an observant salute. His eyes were beaming with both eagerness and a fierce determination. Tech pulled a measuring tape out from the bag and continued, "As quickly as you can, I need you to measure the dimensions of that rectangular plot over there and figure out where the _exact_ center is."

"You-got-it-boss!" With that, Rev snatched the tool and zoomed out to the plot, beginning his work at lightning-fast speed. Meanwhile, Tech pulled a sleek, compact briefcase out of his backpack. Undoing the latches, he opened the case to reveal the shrunken Ferris wheel nestled securely in the indentions of its hard-foam molding. He carefully pulled it out to reveal that the miniature version only stood about six inches tall and couldn't have weighed more than ten pounds at most, with the base of the wheel fitting squarely in the palm of his hand. He gave it a good look-over to make sure that none of the pieces were missing.

Soon after, Rev raced back over to the coyote's side and, without a word, was handed the machine. Knowing exactly what to do next, he sped back over to the center of the plot and dropped to his knees. As carefully as he could, he set the wheel down in its assigned position, smoothing and leveling the dirt in some places to help hold it more securely in place. Once he was satisfied, he raced back to the sidelines. "All-set!" he chirped.

"Alright, everybody stand back!" Tech made sure to speak loud enough so that the people in line could hear him as well. He pulled the Molecular Reconstructor gun out from his backpack, applied some settings, and waited a second to allow the people closest to the ride to scoot back some before pointing the gun at the wheel and firing a golden stream of light. The wheel glew brightly for a moment before it slowly started expanding back into its original size, eventually matching the dimensions of the plot exactly. As the crowd reacted impressively, Tech disarmed the gun and placed it back into his backpack, switching it out for his Gravity Stabilization Gyro. Like before, he applied the desired settings and fired the weapon at the ride, barraging it with a series of white rings of energy. As the machine restored itself back to its original weight, a slight tremor spread throughout the ground as the base sunk down an inch or two, further cementing itself in place. With the ride's original properties restored, Tech gave the gyro a quick, triumphant twirl in his palm before placing it back into his backpack, which he swung back over his shoulder.

"Impressive Tech," Mr. Grant noted genuinely, "it's good to see that the short-notice time frame wasn't a problem for you."

"Not at all sir," he answered with another confident grin, "In fact, I think I do my best work when I'm on the clock."

Rev couldn't help but notice how self-confident Tech would suddenly present himself when talking about his work. It was amusing to say the least, considering how he had been acting just moments ago.

"Luckily for us..." the manager continued, "Now why don't we see if we can get this machine going? I must admit, I'm anxious to see it in action."

"You got it, sir!" he answered enthusiastically before turning back to his partner. "Rev, I've got one last job for you." The roadrunner threw up another salute. "I need you to fly around the wheel and check all of the pods and braces for any issues. You shouldn't find anything, but if you do, do whatever's necessary to fix them. Be as quick as you can, but not at the expense of a thorough inspection. Got it?"

Rev nodded his head affirmatively before taking off into the skies. While he was busy circling the pods, Tech walked over to the wheel and climbed up a small flight of stairs to reach the "control room" for the ride. It wasn't anything special, but it was the only part of the ride that had a roof above it, and the walls of the room stood only about three feet tall, making the entire area seem very open. He walked up to the large control panel and opened up the compartment underneath it to find his battery still hooked up inside. With the push of a button, the battery sprung to life, with its whistling hum and bright white light, signaling to him that the battery was still charged. Satisfied, he closed the door just as his friend flew into the control room to join him.

"Looks-like-everything's-all-ship-shape-Tech-except-it-did-seem-like-one-of-the-bolts-on-the-top-pod-was-a-little-loose-but-it-might've-just-been-me-being-paranoid-you-know-how-I-get-sometimes-but-nevertheless-I-made-sure-and-tightened-it-up-extra-extra-tight!" While he spoke, Rev tossed the wrench he had used up and down in his hand.

"Nice work, Rev," he commended before leaning over the control room walls and shouting to the manager on the ground below. "Alright, Mr. Grant... prepare to be amazed!" He turned back to the control panel and flipped a few switches before pulling the large green lever that would activate the ride…

But nothing happened.

The two Loonatics exchanged confused looks before Tech pulled the lever back into its original position, thinking that he may have just had the 'on' and 'off' positions mixed up, but nothing changed. He pulled the lever once again. Still, the ride remained lifeless.

"Maybe I just mixed up some of the _other _settings…" Tech rationalized. He experimented with a few different button and switch combinations, but he still couldn't produce any results. Something was definitely amiss.

"Tech," Mr. Grant called from below, "is everything okay in there?"

"D-don't worry," he was quick to reassure, "everything's fine. Just give us another minute or two…"  
>"What-do-you-think's-wrong-Tech?" Rev inquired.<p>

"I don't understand, everything seemed to be working..."

"Did-we-forget-anything?"

"I doubt it. I did everything the exact same way I had done it this morning. It should've turned on…" Tech started to fumble around randomly with some of the buttons on the control panel. He found that he had an easier time sorting through his mind whenever his hands were busy with something, so playing with the unresponsive controls was helping him concentrate.

There was only a moment of silence before Rev noted something peculiar. "Wait-a-minute… you-don't-hear-anything-do-you?"

Tech perked his ears a bit, but couldn't pick up anything out of the ordinary. "I don't think so. Why?"

"Well-doesn't-the-battery-usually-make-a-humming-noise?" The realization spread across Tech's face before the runner had even done finished. It was such an obvious suggestion, but he hadn't considered it after watching it turn on himself. Still, there was little denying what he couldn't hear. He knelt back down to the compartment underneath and opened the doors to find the battery just sitting there, powerless. No light. No hum. Nothing. Ironically, finding out what the problem was only confused him further.

"This can't be right… it was working just fine a minute ago…"

"Looks-to-me-like-it-ran-out-of-charge," Rev suggested. He pointed to the battery's only visible sign of life: a dimly-lit indicator blinking the image of an empty yellow battery with a diagonal slash across it.

"Impossible," he dismissed. His tone was growing firmer as he struggled to come up with an explanation. "Batteries like these are _designed_ to be self-sustaining. The charge I gave it back at the lab should've given it enough power to start itself up a _hundred_ times, _at least._ There's no way it could have given out yet…"

"Maybe-it's-a-bad-battery…?" Rev was starting to feel a little insecure since all of his suggestions seemed so obvious. Judging by the look on Tech's face, the problem to had to be much more complex that the solutions he was pitching. Nonetheless, he felt obligated to contribute in some way.

"Not a chance…" Tech dismissed again, "this is a state-of-the-art piece of technology, and I never get anything less than top-quality products with Acme Techware. Besides, if the battery was really incapable of conserving a charge, it wouldn't have turned on in the first place." His hands continued to toy aimlessly at the control panel as he attempted to put the pieces together. "The issue must have occurred sometime as the power was being transferred over…"

"Maybe-it's-some-kind-of-wiring-problem-inside-the-ride-somewhere-because-let's-face-it-with-all-those-little-wires-and-settings-in-something-that-size-there's-bound-to-be-a-mistake-somewhere-even-someone-like-you-could-just-as-easily-overlooked-something…" Rev noted casually.

He kept his face turned away, but the coyote's expression narrowed a bit in an annoyed response. Like most people, he had a few pet peeves, but one of his bigger ones involved anybody undercutting his work. Considering how much time and effort he would devote to his inventions, he felt a lot of pride and personal attachment to everything he created. Consequentially, he had a tendency of becoming defensive when it came to criticism, especially when it seemed like such comments were less of an attempt at being constructive, and more of a jab at his personal intelligence. Coming from Rev, he knew that probably wasn't the case, but being accused of such a fundamental or "rookie" mistake didn't sit very well with him. "I don't think so, Rev…" he answered flatly.

Apparently, that's when Rev's mind burst into possibility. "Well-if-it's-not-in-the-ride-maybe-it-has-something-to-do-with-the-way-something's-wired-in-the-battery-itself-or-maybe-it's-just-not-hooked-in-right-so-the-charge-couldn't-pass-through-or-maybe-it-really-_is_-something-defective-in-the-battery-like-I-said-before-because-I'm-sure-that-even-you-could-agree-that-a-store-or-a-product-can't-be-perfect-100%-of-the-time-and-as-trustworthy-or-reliable-as-a-store-might-be-they're-not-above-the-inevitability-of-human-error-and-this-could-just-be-that-one-in-a-millionth-chance-that-we-got-the-bad-product-and-that-really-doesn't-mean-that-it's-anyone's-fault-or-anything-it-just-means-that—"

"_REV, could you please just SHUT UP for a moment, so I can THINK?!"_ Tech impulsively burst, with his face still turned. He rarely ever lashed out at the bird, but his self-perpetuating chatter was really messing with his concentration.

The thick and uncomfortable silence that followed only lasted a moment before the inventor heard a single-word reply, "Sorry…" Looking back, it appeared as though Rev had retreated a step or two, clutching his hands down in front of his waist. His gaze was downwards toward the floor, but from what he could see, his eyes looked largely apologetic, and possibly a bit hurt as well. A small pang of guilt found its way through Tech's gut, but despite the protest in his conscience, he decided that it would be better for him to redirect his attention back to the problem while they momentarily had silence.

But for whatever reason, he found it even harder to focus _now_ than while Rev was talking. After a moment or two his expression furrowed from a mix of frustration and concern as he let out an exasperated grunt. Why was it so hard for him to focus? Maybe it was seeing the coyote's visible frustration that pushed Rev to try and speak up again. "Uh… Tech…?" he spoke, his voice notably meeker and slower than usual, "I think I might have an idea… a-real-one-this-time…"

Tech sighed, releasing a deep and forfeiting breath, "Yeah? What is it…?"

"I was just thinking that… since-the-battery-_is_-a-Kinetic-Molecular-Energy-Generator-and-all… maybe-something-went-wrong-when-you-used-the-Molecular-Reconstructor-on-it…"

Another stint of silence pervaded the air as the realization finally dawned on him. "Wait a minute… that's it! I don't know how I could've missed that…" he exclaimed, growing more and more excited. "In order for these batteries to output massive amounts of energy, they have to rely on a reserve charge to kick-start the battery's processes, a charge that is stored within the atomic bonds and interactions of the molecules themselves. When I shrunk and expanded the ride, the battery was left plugged in and its size was altered with it. By altering its density, I inadvertently affected the original arrangement of these molecules, and thus, most of the charge was lost. Enough must have been lingering afterwards to start the battery, but there wasn't enough to effectively reproduce the massive power requirement the ride needed, causing the battery to die! Rev, you're a genius!"

The look of triumph and clarity on Tech's face didn't last long though, once he reminded himself of who had been the one to solve the problem. He decided that now was probably a good time to say something. "…umm… sorry for snapping at you…" he apologized, though a bit awkwardly, avoiding direct eye contact.

"That's-okay-Tech," Rev's voice was still a little soft, "I-know-that-you-can-get-kinda-stressed-out-sometimes-and-I'm-sure-that-me-going-on-and-on-about-stuff-wasn't-helping."

He was right of course, but it still bothered him that Rev felt the need to apologize at all. He almost felt like offering a second, firmer apology to accept more of the blame, but he decided against it. It was probably best to just drop the whole thing. "Well, at least we figured it out. The problem is… how do we fix it?"

"All-we-have-to-do-is-charge-it-up-again-right?"

"Basically… but it's gonna take a lot of juice to get it back to full power. Back at the lab, I had to tap into the tower's main power grid in order to charge it up fast enough. I'm not sure what we can use this time…"

Rev walked over to one of the walls and poked his head out, calling to Mr. Grant below. "Hey-do-you-know-if-you've-got-a-power-source-we-can-plug-something-into?"

"How much do you need?" he eventually called back.

"The biggest you've got," Tech broke in, poking his head out as well. "We're trying to restart a pretty heavy-duty battery."

The manager pulled a small computer tablet out of his pocket to look up some information. Considering his position, he was probably the best person for them to ask. "It looks like we've got one good-size generator on the other side of the carnival," he soon informed. "It says here it can pump out close to 40kV…"

Tech frowned, "You got anything bigger?"

He shook his head, "…It doesn't look like it. You'll have to go off the grounds for something like that."

"I was afraid of that…" Tech sighed, now speaking more to Rev than anyone else.

"Is-40kV-not-enough?"

"Well _technically_, we _could_ charge the battery with that… but getting it up to 100% would take far too much time, more than we have. If we want to be timely, we're going to need something that can output at least a couple hundred kilovolts."

"Hey-you-know-what?" Rev began, "HQ-really-isn't-_that_-far-from-here-it's-just-a-few-miles-away-and-with-all-the-power-we've-got-there-it-would-only-take-a-couple-of-minutes-like-it-did-this-morning. I-bet-if-I-hurry-I-can-run-it-back-to-the-lab-real-real-quick-and-charge-it-up-there-and-then-bring-it-right-back-here-good-as-new!"

With his seemingly reasonable idea, he walked over to the battery and attempted to lift it, not anticipating just how heavy it was. He strained and exerted out loud as his skinny arms struggled to lift the machine off the ground, finally realizing why Tech always used his magnetism when moving it himself. Eventually he managed to grab hold of it, but the added weight reduced him to little more than a snail's pace as he slowly worked his way back to the one of the walls, barely keeping the battery above his knees. Once there, he readied his flight stance with the full intent of taking off toward HQ with the battery in tow, before he was surprised to feel the intense weight suddenly disappear just moments before he could leave the ground. He looked back and saw Tech, eyes glowing green, holding the battery in mid-air behind him. He had slipped it right out from under him.

"Maybe that's not such a good idea…" he judged as he rested the battery back on the floor between them.

"Then-what-else-can-we-do?"

"I don't know…" he contemplated, "I'd say that if we're out of options, we could easily just use the generator they have here. It'll take at least an hour to charge the battery, and even several minutes more just moving it back and forth, but it'll work. The thing is… we're behind schedule enough as it is… and I don't know about you, but I think most of the people here have been waiting long enough. I just can't help but think that there _has _to be a better way…"

The two of them stood in silence for a moment racking their brains for a more desirable solution. Looking at Tech, Rev could recognize the concern and subtle sense of urgency in his eyes, and knew that – at least to an extent – he was blaming himself for the battery's failure. It was spurring Rev to try and do whatever he could to help fix the predicament they had found themselves in. Luckily, after a moment, he realized that there probably _was_ something he could do.

"Actually… I-think-I-have-one-last-idea-we-can-try," he proposed. Before Tech could inquire as to what his teammate had in mind, he had already begun sending another request to Mr. Grant.

"Do-you-at-least-have-an-exercise-bike-we-can-borrow?"

• • • • •

"Three... two... one... SMELL!"

With his signal, the mallard and the Tasmanian both stopped dead in their tracks and furiously sniffed the air around them. Their noses were engaged in a heated competition, sleuthing through both nearby and distant airspace in search of edible odors that – hopefully – the other would overlook. They were still a considerable distance away, but the enticing aromas of carnival food were already reaching them from the Food Court. Duck had a natural inclination to make almost anything into some kind of competition, and it was easier when he was with someone like Slam (or Rev, for that matter) who was usually willing to indulge him in his games.

"Alright… _time!_" Duck announced after a time. "What've ya got?"

"Awwt dawggz!" Slam bellowed.

"Hot dogs, really?" Duck scoffed, "you're gonna have to try harder than that. I got that one right away. Did you smell _caramel apples?_"

Not having identified a scent like that, Slam took a few good sniffs through the air to make sure that his feathered friend was being truthful; It surprised him how quickly he recognized the warm, sugary scent of freshly melted caramel once it had been pointed out. Since it hadn't escaped his opponent, it meant that the first point was his.

"Ookay, okay…" he admitted simply.

"A-ha, see what I mean? What else ya got?"

"Fennjraahs?"

"French fries?" he repeated. It took a few sniffs, but he eventually matched the scent. "Darn, I must've missed that one," he muttered, slightly discouraged to have his lead undermined. "Well, how about funnel cakes? You get that one?"

Slam nodded his head confidently. "Pizza?"

"Got that one… pickles?"

"Uh-huuh… bahbakyoo?"

"Barbecue?" Such a distinct and tangy aroma led the mallard to assume that Slam had to be bluffing, but a quick scan from his nose quickly told him otherwise. Duck mentally kicked himself for not sensing that one, seeming so obvious and distinct to him now. The devil must have picked up on his realization and let out an accomplished chuckle. Now_ he_ was in the lead.

"Fine, fine… I'll give you that one…" he responded with a voice that still retained its confidence even though he was inwardly starting to worry. He only had one last scent to offer, and it was his last shot to at least manage a tie. "How about… _hamburgers!_"

Slam's smile faded from hearing something he hadn't anticipated. He hoped it wouldn't turn up in his smell-check, but was met with disappointment. For him, it must have been hiding behind that strong odor of fresh barbecue he ended up focusing on. When it came to meats, Slam tended to become _much _less particular. He shook his head to show that he had been bested and Duck let out a small sigh of relief.

"Well, that's all I've got," Duck informed. "Did you find anything else?"

"Nu-uhh. Tie?"

"In your dreams… I say this calls for a tie-breaker!" Slam rolled his eyes. The hothead should have just settled for the tie.

"Here's what I'm thinking," Duck continued, "We can't smell anything else from here, right? So, let's keep moving with our noses peeled. Whoever can pick up a new smell first, that we can both agree on, is the winner! Sound like a plan?"

Slam snickered in anticipation to show his approval. It sounded easy enough.

"Good, now the tiebreaker starts in three… two… one… SMELL!" With that, Duck led their march onward, both of them focusing their full attention towards anything they could pull from the air.

Though they were both gunning to come out on top, it could be said that Duck was the one more hell-bent on winning their little skirmish. Tuning out his ears, keeping his hands free, stilling his tongue and even narrowing his field of vision, the mallard attempted to focus every ounce of sensory powers to his nostrils, knowing that was what it was going to take to outdo the gifted nose Slam possessed. Quite frankly, he thought it was a miracle that he even managed to tie with it in the first place… unless… he hadn't really been trying up until now. This new thought only pushed him harder, as he convinced himself that he couldn't justify losing when his opponent was even trying. Sure, it was just a game, but he wasn't going down _that_ easily.

His nose continued to sort through the atmosphere around him, untangling each new mass of aromas and keeping tabs on what had already been identified. After a moment or two, something more relevant floated in his direction… a kind of meaty smell that he quickly recognized but couldn't name. Where had he smelt that before? As he kept walking, the aroma strengthened and new details emerged. It smelt rich… moist even… perhaps even a bit… salty. Mulling it over in his mind, he finally gave it a label: pork. He could pick up that smell anywhere, being one of only the handful of meats he wouldn't actually eat, recalling the more vegetarian nature of his species. He reasoned long ago that it was likely because the best – and only – friend he had as a kid happened to _be_ a pig. Either way, he knew that pork on its own wouldn't be a good enough answer. He needed to be more specific…

By this point, he had practically slipped into a kind of trance, all his energy focused on finding any new shred of information. Slam was most likely hot on his heels, if not already one step ahead, and it was only a matter of time before his nose would make use of its prowess to beat him to the punch. Fortunately, a new cloud of air found its way to his nostrils, giving him exactly what he needed. He blurted out his conclusion before his opponent could.

"HONEY-GLAZED HAM! Take that, Slam… it looks like I win!" He proclaimed victoriously, whirling around to face the defeated player behind him while wearing a triumphant smirk of his own.

But he wasn't there.

"Slam?" he repeated, turning his head in every direction but failing to find his friend. "Slam, where are you?"

No matter which way he looked, he couldn't pick up any sign of him anywhere, which was surprising since he wasn't a very easy person to miss. In mild annoyance, Duck started walking back in the direction they had come.

"_Where could that beast have possibly run off to?"_ he wondered.

•

"Oh, thank you _so_ much for giving little ol' me a hand…" the old woman said sweetly, to which Slam just chuckled kindly.

She had interrupted him just seconds after he and Duck had begun their tie-breaker. She was a short, frail lady who had to at least be in her mid-eighties, wearing a colorful, yet faded springtime dress that covered most of her legs as well as a pair of delicate white slippers on her feet. Her hair was an aged mix of white and gray strands which had been pulled up into a small, neat little bun.

She caught his attention with a tap on his forearm (looking at her, she probably couldn't reach much higher) and asked if he – being the big, strapping young man he was – could do her a favor. Seeing as how he was in the middle of a game, he was still starving for something to eat, and Duck was still walking on ahead without noticing that his friend had stopped, he was a bit hesitant at first. But in the end, he couldn't say no to such a warm smile and a gentle voice, one that seemed to suggest that she was the kind of woman who would gladly reward you with a butterscotch candy for being a "good little boy." Sure enough, Danger didn't even notice him slip away.

She led him to a small booth just a few spots behind them, a humble little gift shop that displayed a variety of trinkets, crafts, and goodies, most of which looked like she had hand-made herself. She brought him out to the back of the booth where a small blue truck had been parked, its bed containing three large boxes of mystery items.

"My grandson loaded these into my car last night," she explained. "They're full of souvenirs that I haven't put out for sale yet. I've already unpacked all the smaller boxes, but I'm afraid these last three are just too heavy for me to move. You looked like a strong fellow when I saw you… would you mind moving these boxes into my booth so I can sort through them?"

"Mmm-hmmm," he grunted, happy to help.

"Oh good… thank you so much!" she replied cheerfully. "It's nice to see that a Loonatic is as nice in person as he seems on the news!"

Slam grinned at her before grabbing hold of one of the boxes, and was surprised at how heavy it was. It was nothing he couldn't handle, but it did suggest to him that perhaps the main reason she had asked _him_ to help her out was because nobody else could do it themselves. Her grandson must've been pretty strong as well. Despite the extra effort though, he assisted the woman with ease and set the boxes on the ground inside the booth, right next to her counter in the back.

"I really appreciate all of your help, young man! I was afraid that all these little toys were going to have to stay in their boxes _all day_," she chuckled.

"Yuurwekuum," he grunted back, scratching the back of his head. He wouldn't have exactly considered the toys to be so "little" from how heavy the boxes were, but he was still glad to help.

"In fact," she continued, "as a reward for going out of your way just for me, I'll let you walk away with _anything_ in the store. Anything that you like, for free!" she said, smiling gently.

Slam answered with an odd noise that mixed both surprise and intrigue. He took a quick look over all the shelves in the store and, though a few things caught his eye, there was only one thing that seemed to stand out over everything else. On the counter where the old lady stood, there rested a cylindrical wooden rack displaying a variety of rainbow-colored lollipops. Slam's eye went for the round ones on top, where the candy seemed to be as big around as his spread-open palm. Try as he could, Slam couldn't turn down oversized, sugary treats – especially cherry-flavored ones. He pointed it out casually with a decisive grunt.

The woman chuckled warmly, "You've got quite the eye, haven't you? I'd say I sell more of these than I do anything else, so I made sure to bring plenty." She plucked one of the pops from its peg and handed it to him. "Here you go!"

With another grin, he took the candy from her and started to unwrap it before an interruption burst itself into the scene.

"There you are, Slam!"

Slam turned to find Duck marching into the shop towards them, looking rather upset. "Do you know how long I've been trying to find you? Why weren't you around so I could officially win this stupid game?"

The Tasmanian groaned for a number of reasons. First, he had only been gone for a couple of minutes, and he was sure that Duck hadn't even noticed his absence through most of it. Second, he referred to the game as being "stupid" even though he was the one pushing them to play it. And lastly, he seemed to be more concerned with winning that "stupid game" of his than he was concerned about Slam's own well-being.

Duck quickly took notice of what was in the devil's hands. "You skip out on me just for some candy? I thought that's why we were going to the Food Court… to get some _real food._"

"Buuutthhaaaa..!" he motioned to the boxes and the woman, attempting to illustrate his point.

"Oh, I should probably explain," the lady began. She may not have known what Slam said, but she still understood the situation. "I gave your friend that lollipop as a reward for helping me move some boxes. I hope borrowing him for a few minutes didn't interfere with anything…"

Duck glanced back at his partner who affirmed her statement with a simple nod. He didn't really see any reason for either of them to be lying, and he supposed he couldn't get mad at Slam for being a good citizen. He decided to calm his voice.

"Whatever…" he dismissed to her, before turning back to Slam. "Anyway, let's get going. I really hate having to smell all this food knowing that none of it is going into my stomach…"

Slam followed the mallard as he swiftly exited the shop, but made sure to exchange a wave goodbye with the woman on his way out.

"You know Slam," Duck inquired after they started walking again, "how do you expect me to beat you fair and square when you're not even around to _lose_ fair and square?"

Slam's only answer was an indecisive shrug. He was already too immersed into the sweet flavors of his newfound treat to feign interest in Duck's criticisms.

"_But_, now that you're back, I suppose we could always just start over… is that cool with you?"

"Mmm-hmm…"

"Alright, but you _can't_ use honey-glazed ham, since that's the one I was gonna use!"

"Ookay…" he grunted while still slurping on his colorful sucker. Was he even really paying attention?

Duck grinned a little. "You know, Slam, if I were you I would've waited on that lollipop of yours. With the taste of candy in your mouth, it's gonna be a lot harder for you to –" The mallard was interrupted by a massive crunching noise. Looking up, he watched the Tasmanian pull a perfectly clean stick out of his mouth, having devoured the whole snack in one bite. "Nevermind…"

He gave Slam a second to pick his teeth before restarting the countdown, "Alright, we start the tiebreaker in three… two…"

Before he could finish, a voice coming from one of the surrounding booths interrupted them. "Hey Slam... over here!"

"Huh?" Duck questioned aloud. Looking around for the source, the two soon found a young teenage boy in a white hooded jacket standing in front of a ring toss booth, waving his arms in an attempt to get their attention. Slam immediately began walking in that direction and Duck sighed as he begrudgingly followed after his teammate, aggravated that their little competition was put on hold yet again.

"Whuuuzzit?" the devil asked curiously.

"Sorry to bother you right now, but as you can see… my dad and I could really use a hand right now…" The teen gestured to the scene in the booth itself where an older, more heavy-set man was straining to hold up a wooden shelf that had apparently sprung loose from its supports. Balancing precariously on top of the shelf was a variety of large and bulky items such as a novelty lamp, a portable stereo system, a gaming console, and a small television screen.

"What happened here?" Duck asked upon catching up to his partner.

"One of the screws must not have been screwed into the wall good enough. We were in the middle of someone's game when one of the braces holding up the shelf suddenly fell off the wall, and the board started falling over. With our luck, it had to be the highest shelf with all the expensive prizes on it. My dad managed to catch it before anything could fall off, but as you can probably tell… it's pretty heavy…"

"Oohhh…" Slam muttered in understanding.

"But it's a good thing I saw you walking by. You're the strongest one of the Loonatics, right Slam? Do you think you could help my dad hold up that shelf so I can put the brace back on? I'm sure it'd be easy for a guy like you!"

"Don't take this the wrong way, kid," Duck broke in before he could answer, "but I'm sure there are _plenty_ of other people around here who can help you out. Besides, Slam and I are _kinda_ in the middle of –" Before he could finish, Slam stopped him with a swift elbow to his side. "What?!"

"Dah..!" It was more of a grunt than an actual worded response, but he figured the scrupulous look he gave him sent his message across all the same.

Duck took another look at the scene. The kid's father was definitely struggling, as he was unable to even hold the shelf high enough on his own – let alone level enough – for the brace to be reattached properly. Even though he still didn't see why the boy was so set on getting _Slam_ to help them, he felt like arguing against it would be pointless. Not to mention, it would make him look like an ass.

"Fine, whatever… just make it quick," he finally grumbled, folding his arms.

Slam tussled the feathers on top of duck's head a little, teasing him for the change of heart, before following the son into the booth. Sure enough, Slam only needed to use one of his hands to get the shelf back into alignment on the wall, and he even made use of his free hand to shuffle the prizes back into their original spots. While his father took a few relieved breaths of air, the boy quickly took to reapplying the bracket mount into a new, sturdier spot.

Even after testing the shelf a few times to make sure it would stay, the whole process only cost them a couple of minutes. After another set of thank-yous, the two Loonatics were back on track for the Food Court. Duck had initially intended to see if he could restart the competition again, but this time around, it seemed as if something else was on his mind.

"Seems like everyone's wanting a little help from you today, huh big guy?" he noted casually. Slam chuckled heartily. "I guess those muscles of yours _can_ come in handy once in a while," he continued, "_of course,_ I can't say how they stack up against _my powers_…"

Slam didn't feel like groaning out loud again.

"Yep," Duck contended, "apparently with all these needy people around here, I'll bet it's only a matter of time before somebody comes up and asks for _my_ help for a change. You know… something _you_ can't do…" Slam rolled his eyes. The fowl was even turning _this_ into some kind of competition…

"Hey...!" a voice called out, almost on cue.

"Why, here comes somebody now…" the mallard pointed out anxiously. To their left, a young woman – around their own age – was making her way towards them.

"Hey, I'm glad I ran into you guys," she friendly began once she was talking-distance away, "if it's not too much to ask, me and my friends were hoping we could get some help with something."

"Absolutely ma'am," Duck answered her proudly, "what can I… the _generous_ Danger Duck… help you with today?"

She tried to answer him as politely as she could, "Actually… we wanted to see if we could just borrow Slam for a second…"

"What?" Duck's face fell.

"Yeah," she continued, turning to the Tasmanian and perking up some, "we have this giant furnace-looking thing just sitting randomly in the back our booth. It's really getting in everyone's way, and nobody can seem to lift it. But you've got super strength, right? When I saw you walking by I figured I had to ask…"

"Uhh-huuh," he responded.

"So…" Duck asked with a hopeful, almost pleading voice, "are you sure you don't having anything _I_ can do? You know… 'cause I'm so helpful and all…"

She thought about it for a second, "I don't think so, but I appreciate the offer!" She turned back to Slam, "So what do you say? You willing to give us a hand?"

Slam smiled with an affirming grunt. "Oh, thank you so much," she replied. "Come on, it's over this way."

"…okay then…" Duck added half-heartedly as she led him away, "I'll just… wait here, I guess."

With his arms still folded and an oddly pensive look on his face, he watched as the two of them walked over to a T-shirt booth where a good-sized group of boys and girls – roughly her same age – stood huddled round the large metal obstacle she had mentioned. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to do so, but he decidedly shuffled a few steps closer to the booth… just in case they changed their minds or something.

Coincidentally enough, just as Slam had begun to grab hold of the furnace, a man approached the scene, stopping at the shop entrance.

"Hey Slam," he called to the people inside, "when you get done with that, you think you could give me a hand _over here_? It'll only take a second."

The Tasmanian smiled politely and nodded his head, more than happy to lend another hand.

"…_or…I_ could help you out…" Duck openly suggested, "I'm not really doing anything right now…" Despite his efforts to get his attention, the man failed to hear him before returning back to his own booth, leaving him to wonder if he had just been talking to himself. Being ignored was one of the things that annoyed him the most.

It was at that moment that Duck suddenly became very aware of his surroundings. A young couple came out of the booth next to theirs and headed in towards the scene, apparently eager for some assistance of the own from the big guy. In fact, it seemed like a few other small groups of people were also closing in on the area, and he became convinced that they were interested in similar things once he started to pick up on their whispering.

"_Why don't you ask Slam?_" he heard someone ask.

"_I bet this would be a whole lot easier for a guy like him!"_ someone else commented, and inside Duck knew that Slam wouldn't have it in him to turn down any of them.

His expression started to narrow more and more in annoyance as it continued to seem like more and more people bypassed him in favor of his muscle-bound teammate. After a moment, he couldn't contain himself anymore.

"_HELLO?! Danger Duck standing right here!"_ he burst out, grabbing the attention of almost everyone nearby. "Come on, is everyone just gonna keep buggin' Slam with _more_ requests? I'm standing right here, you know... I can be helpful too! _Is anyone willing to give me the time of day or what?"_

By the end of his mini-rant, his voice had grown considerably louder, which stood at stark contrast to the vapid silence that lingered in the air now. All eyes were on him, everyone having dropped whatever they were doing to watch dumbfounded as Duck blew off steam. Out of them all, Slam was the most understanding towards his friend's feelings, but his expression looked just as confused as anyone else's. Duck was starting to second-guess his decision to shout, but he was still looking for somebody to answer him. _"Well?"_ he demanded.

Breaching the silence, a new young man ran into the area, side-steeping the people in his way to reach the Loonatic. "Thank God I finally found you, Mr. Duck," he said while coming to a stop. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Duck felt it appropriate once again to wear his typical proud grin. "Finally, some recognition!" he declared openly before turning his attention to his new guest. "And what can I, the _incredible Danger Duck_ do for you today, sir?"

"We need your help to finish setting up a game down at our booth. It's just a couple of rows down… if you don't mind."

"_Of course_ I don't mind!" Duck answered him with flare. "But, tell me… is this a job that only _I_ would be able to do?"

"Well… no actually," he admitted truthfully, "but I think it's pretty safe to say that you'd probably be the _best_ person for the job!"

"I'll take it!" he responded, visibly happy. "Now would you kindly take me to the fortunate place that requires my assistance?" he crooned.

"I can't thank you enough, Mr. Duck. It's just over this way…"

"Oh no, the pleasure is _all mine…_"

With that, the young visitor started walking back to where he had come from, bringing along with him the young Loonatic whose face boasted a triumphantly smug grin. Once they left, the crowd that had been so transfixed on him earlier seemed to suddenly lose interest as they each went back to their own business.

Slam was the last one to turn back to his own matters though, being a bit more perplexed than anyone else. Of course, he was quickly reminded that he still had a furnace to move and that there was apparently a whole lineup of other odd jobs set up for him once he was finished. With a shrug, he went back to his work.

He had plenty of time later to go and see what exactly Duck had gotten himself into.

• •

Slam handed the young man at the booth his money, receiving a set of three tennis balls in return.

"Wow, Mr. Slam, this is your third time in a row to play this game!" the booth operator noted happily.

"Uh-huh!" the devil grunted enthusiastically.

"I appreciate all your business, but I wouldn't want you to spend _all_ your money on us…"

"I second that thought!" a voice called out to them, grabbing their attention. Just to the side of the booth, there sat a large plastic tank that was about halfway filled with water. A tarp covered a wall standing next to it, featuring a hand-painted bulls eye target that cleverly disguised a pressure switch. Inside the tank, just a few feet above the surface of the water, there rested a wooden board ready to swing away at the slightest activation of that switch.

Sitting on top of that board was Danger Duck, complete with a pouty expression on his face and feathers that were already dripping wet. _This_ was his special job.

"I'm serious Slam," he continued with an annoyed tone, "why don't you go spend your money somewhere else and leave me alone for a while? Unlike most of the other people here, you haven't missed a shot yet…"

Slam only laughed, he had already paid his money.

"Sure, laugh about it now," Duck chided, "but you wouldn't think it was so funny if _you_ were in here instead of me!"

"Oh I'm sure it's not so bad, Mr. Duck," the man replied to him, "it's just a little water. Besides, it's for a good cause and you're _really_ helping us out!"

Duck scoffed, "Well you better consider yourself lucky that you're giving the profits to charity, or there would've been no way _in hell _I would've agreed to go along with this."

"Trust me, we consider ourselves _very_ lucky…" he ensured him.

"Yeah, well… let's just hope this little bathtub game of yours actually _turns_ a profit. I can only imagine how much renting something like this would've cost you..."

"Oh I don't think we have to worry about that, Mr. Duck. I've been running dunk tank stands for a few years now, and I've never seen any of my booths get _this _much business before!"

Slam made his way back into position at the front of the customer line, a line which had managed now to grow quite long with people eager to send their favorite Loonatic (or perhaps not-so-favorite…) for a swim. Positioning himself in front of the target, the Tasmanian took his stance and eyed the switch carefully, preparing to make his shot.

"You know what?" Duck muttered. "You're _all_ despicable…!"

_*Ding!* _

The tennis ball hit its mark perfectly, sending the fowl for another dive.

• • • • •

With a releasing sigh, Ace folded the supersuit he had just changed out of as carefully as he could manage, and slipped it into his backpack. As dashing and slick as the suit was, it could feel a little constricting every now and then.

He turned and looked into a tall mirror that stood on one of the walls around him and assessed his new look. He was wearing a pair of worn light-blue jeans and a gray, hooded sweatshirt which only partially concealed a simple red T-shirt underneath. Topping it off, he sported a pair of brand new white and black sneakers as well a small, dark blue beanie over his head which tucked his ears in, forcing them to slip out through the back, reaching just past his shoulders. It wasn't really all that cold, so he had debated on both the beanie and the hoodie, but he had to admit that he liked the way they looked on him.

But then again, he had to remind himself that he _technically_ wasn't trying to be _himself_ at the moment, and that the person standing in the mirror was supposed to be someone else entirely. No, the person staring back at him wasn't Ace anymore... this person's name was _Blaze Bunny,_ Ace's mild-mannered alter-ego!

Of course, he only called it that because it made it seem more interesting. In actuality, it was more like... a public identity, a second name that he could slip into anytime he felt the need to go more _incognito_. And, it certainly wasn't anything exclusive only to him... in fact, all of the Loonatics had one.

Due to circumstance, none of them ever really had the chance to maintain any sort of true mystery as to what their real identities were after receiving their powers. The team wouldn't meet up for the first time until a full two weeks after the comet strike, and by then almost all of them had their gifts exposed to the public eye in one way or another. As far as they knew, they had never had secret identities to begin with, so when they eventually formed the team, they opted to stick with their original names.

However, as time passed, the need for some kind of separation become more and more apparent. As both their exposure and general popularity grew, it seemed as though their lives as superheroes started tangling too much into their personal ones. The few times any of them would ever have the chance to visit family, meet old friends, or even simply go out in public, they were easily recognized, and usually bombarded with attention. Of course, when they were out of uniform, it was easier for them to blend in, but one use of their real names took away any advantage that gave them.

As a natural solution, Zadavia eventually assigned each of them an alias (a name which they got to choose for themselves) that they could use anytime they wanted to go out in public without drawing any extra attention. In fact, Zadavia had even gone as far as to set them each up with personal IDs, bank account information, and even public profiles and demographics that were linked to their aliases. In that sense, it _was_ kind of like having an "alter ego."

Additionally, since it was just a name change, they could still be easily recognized by anyone they were already familiar with such as old friends, family members or other prior acquaintances. Of course, this also provided an opening for the more observant - or even obsessive - of their fans, but that was only a minor setback at best. For them, the purpose of the alias was to allow them to partake in everyday activities out in the general public relatively unnoticed. As far as they were concerned, it did that job just fine.

For that particular reason, Ace made sure to bring a change of clothes along with him to the festival, feeling that his upcoming meeting would be better if it were kept away from public intrusion. He probably could've gone with an outfit that was a little less typical of his natural taste - like his teammates would usually do - but he came up with the reasoning that both Ace and Blaze Bunny had similar tastes in style.

Satisfied with his appearance, Ace swung the navy backpack over his shoulder and exited through the door of his dressing room. He made his way through a small hallway containing several other rooms before finding the main entrance. Leaving the building, he walked all the way around to the other side where there was another entrance with a sign that read "Ladies." Ignoring the common courtesy of simply waiting outside for his companion to emerge on her own, he walked inside; He assumed that he wouldn't bother anyone if he just waited in the hallway.

The hallway itself forked in two directions and the bunny walked up to a door that stood a few spaces down to his right, marked with the number eight. This was the room she had told him she'd be in, right? He wasn't too sure, but a glowing red light beside the door knob let him know that the room _was_ being used at least. Hesitantly, he gave the door a few gentle knocks before half-whispering something to the person inside. "Hey, Lex... you in there?"

There was a short pause before he heard anything in reply. "Yeah, it's me..." she answered in a half-hushed tone, "what do you want?"

"Oh good, it _is_ you," Ace exclaimed. "Fer a second there, I was afraid I was botherin' somebody else..."

"Nope, it's just me you're bothering..." she sassed.

"Well that's good. I wouldn't want me ta be interruptin' anybody _important_..."

"What do you want, _Blaze?_" she asked flatly, remembering to use the alias when referring to him, even though he had forgotten to do so with her.

"How much longa do ya think yer gonna be? We don't have all tha time in tha world ya know..."

"Just because you can change in two minutes doesn't mean that I can too. Girls tend to take a _little_ longer than guys do when getting ready. I figured you would've picked up on something like that by now."

"But we're already running late enough as it is..." he complained again. It was a legitimate concern for him, but it was easy to tell that he was more concerned with giving his partner a hard time than anything else.

"Well _you_ were the one who wanted us to change and keep a low profile. If I knew that beforehand, I would've brought a change of clothes with me. As far as I'm concerned, it wasn't _my_ fault we had to shop around here just so I could find something to wear."

"I guess that means it's also not yer fault that it took seven different shops fer ya ta finally settle on somethin'?"

"Exactly!"

Ace sighed, not really knowing how else to continue, and settled on playing the waiting game. After another minute or two of leaning against the dressing room door, arms crossed and fingers fidgeting, he felt it necessary to bother her a second time.

"Ya finishin' any time today, Lex?" he teased, but with an actual basis of real impatience.

"Calm down, I'm putting my suit away now," she reassured. "And could you quit leaning on the door so I can come out?"

"How'd ya know?"

"Your voice is bouncing off the door quite a bit. It wouldn't be doing that unless you were really close up. Plus the door clicked a little when you first leaned on it."

With an amusingly impressed grin on his face, he stood back upright and took a few steps back. "Geez, nuthin' gets past you, huh?"

The light on the door switched from red to green as the room unlocked and the door slowly started swinging open, revealing his newly dressed companion. She was in a pair of navy Capri pants along with a faded pink tank top that was covered by an open white jacket vest. Her sneakers were red with accents of white and the ribbon that tied her ears up had changed from a lime to a bright blue color. Additionally, she was wearing a hot-pink scrunchie bracelet on her left wrist as well as light gray backpack over her shoulder.

"So..." she began after standing for a moment in the doorway, "how do I look?"

Ace rubbed his chin, pretending to think about it. "Perfectly normal," he soon answered approvingly.

Lexi smiled, "Great, 'cuz that's just what I was going for!"

"Considerin' how long you were in there, I was expectin' somethin' a little... _less_ normal."

"Oh please," she dismissed, "I didn't even take that long. And besides, wasn't the whole point of changing _not_ to draw attention to ourselves?"

"Eh, whateva ya say, Lex."

"And that's another thing..." she added accusingly, "that's the third time you've called me that! I thought we were using our aliases."

"Right, right..." the leader acknowledged. Clearing his throat, he pretended to backtrack the moment and repeated his last line, this time with more correct wording. "Whateva ya say, _Leslie_..." He bowed with mock humility and motioned her to lead the way out of the building.

"That's more like it! If I can actually manage to remember to use _your_ name, than the least you can do is remember to use mine."

"Oh yeah, tha _one_time ya actually rememba..."

Lexi laughed, "I've told you before, I'm not all that good with names to begin with, let alone second ones. Besides, you're _supposed_ to pick an alias that has the same first letter as your real name, like the rest of us did. That way, it's easier to remember."

"But Ace is already tha coolest name that starts with an 'A'," he boasted, "and it still sounds pretty similar..."

"Whatever Blaze... luckily for you I've been trying my best to finally get all our aliases down and I think I finally committed them all to memory...!"

"Is that so?" he schemed. "Well, whaddya say we take a little _pop quiz_ then, shall we?"

Lexi groaned.

"What's Rev's alias?" he began.

"Oh, that one's easy... Rex!" she smiled simply, knowing that she was at least starting off with a right answer. She supposed that she could go ahead and humor him.

"Alright, here's anotha... Slam."

"Erm..." she mumbled uncertainly, "...oh, it's right on the tip of my tongue..."

"It's tha only name cooler than mine," he hinted.

Lexi snapped her fingers, "Steele!"

"Good, that's two down and two more ta go. What about Tech?"

She became quietly frustrated with herself that she had to think about it, yet again. "I think... is it... Trent?"

Ace nodded his head and Lexi brought her fist down in triumph. "Alright," he continued, "that just leaves... Duck."

"Oh yeah, I know that one... it's -" just as she was sure that she could answer, her mind suddenly went blank. She kept trying to jog her memory, but for whatever reason, she couldn't seem to come up with anything that sounded right. Had she really even had it in the first place? "...wait, no... maybe it's... dammit, I must've forgot! Is it some kind of really weird name that's probably hard to remember?"

Ace shrugged, trying not to give anything away.

"Wait... does he even _have_ an alias? I don't think I've ever heard of him using one."

"Oh, ya know Duck," the leader explained, "he's always beggin' fer tha spotlight, so he doesn't like usin' it all that much. But ta answer yer questions, 'yes' he does use it from time ta time, 'no' it's not actually that weird, and I actually think it's pretty _easy_ ta rememba..."

She mulled it over for another minute. "I've got nothing," she finally admitted.

"It's Dalton."

Lexi laughed, both from the realization and from the answer itself. "Oh yeah, I remember that now! Duck was the only one of us who didn't want the alias in the first place and refused to pick a name for himself. So, Zadavia just gave him one."

"I think that's anotha reason why he doesn't use it very much…"

"Poor Duck… I remember how much we made fun of him for it that day. I honestly don't know how I forgot about something like that…"

"Well, ya at least got four outta five right. Ya did better than _I_ expected!"

Lexi smirked, "Yeah, but I _should've_ gotten all five. If I were a better teammate I would've been able to say all of them on the spot _months_ ago." Her voice was still light with jest, but Ace could tell that her words were at least stemming from an actual issue.

"Ta be fair," he consoled, "with our schedule, we hardly even get a chance ta go out on our own anymore. We don't really even _use_ our aliases all that much. And tha few times we actually have a chance ta go out as a team, we usually end up droppin' tha names afta an hour or two… at least while we're just around eachotha."

"Hmmm, I guess you're right," she contemplated, earnestly taking his words to heart. "Maybe I've just gotten so used to everyone's real names that I've almost forgotten we even had aliases. Still, I don't think I'll be forgetting a name like _Dalton_ anytime soon."

"I know I haven't!" Ace concluded with a mischievous grin. Poking fun at Duck's second name had lost a lot of its edge for most of the team, but Ace made it into a habit of his to make sure and bring it up on occasion – usually anytime he felt the mallard could benefit from being cut down to size. Yes, Zadavia had given him quite the leverage point with that one.

After a moment or two of walking, Lexi decided to return to a topic they had started on before they were sidetracked by the wardrobe changes. "So, remind me exactly where we're headed again."

"It's a place called _Guzzlin' Gumbos_. When I was readin' tha paper this morning, I saw an ad that said they were actually gonna have a booth set up here. I knew I had to stop by at some point."

"Isn't that the place you seem to like so much?"

"Yeah, you eva been?"

"Once or twice," she admitted, "though I don't remember it being anything special."

"Well, _you've_ obviously neva tried their 'purée of carrot' soup."

"That's a pretty tricky dish to make. I've had it before at a couple of other places, and it's always tasted like watered-down mush."

"Not ta worry," he assured, "_Guzzlin' Gumbos_ makes some o' tha best vegetable soups in all o' Acmetropolis, and that includes carrot purée!"

Though the two bunnies wouldn't call themselves _true_ vegetarians, they were the two most vegetarian members on the team, second only to Rev. They weren't above occasionally eating some of the more common meats such as the ones you might find in a sandwich or on a pizza, but they would almost always choose a meatless alternative when given the option. Lexi herself wasn't particularly fond of soups, but she figured that she could probably enjoy a _good_ carrot purée, if it was as good as Ace claimed.

But, aside from the food choice, there was something else about all of this that had her… intrigued. Actually, intrigued may not have been the best word… it was more like, _bothered_. It had come up for her as early as when the two of them had split off from their teammates, and knowing she had a tendency to over think things, she played it off as a simple overreaction. But realizing that they were getting closer and closer to their intended destination, she found the feeling to be a harder one to ignore. Deciding to settle her uncertainty once and for all, she finally sought out a concrete answer.

"So, uh… _Blaze_…"

"When it's just that two of us, ya can just call me 'Ace,' Lex. Tha names are mostly fer when we talk ta _otha_ people."

"Right… so, _Ace_…" she repeated.

"Yep?"

"Can I ask you something? It might be kind of a personal question…"

"Sure, what's on ya mind?"

She paused for a second, thinking about how to word herself properly. "Why am _I_ here?"

Ace stopped walking for a moment and turned to her. That certainly wasn't a question he was expecting. "Whaddya mean?"

"I mean…" she attempted to clarify, "you said that you were meeting up with someone, right? A girl..?"

"Yeah…" he answered, starting to have a vague idea of where this might be going.

"And… I figure that, whoever she is, she must be pretty special for you to want to go through the trouble of changing into casual clothes, let alone split up from the rest of the team."

"Uh-huh…"

"So, if that's all true, then that must mean this meeting is kind of personal for you. So why did you want to bring me along?" she finished, also finally working out the actual question for herself.

Ace chuckled good-humoredly, "Ya seriously askin' that?"

"Well _yeah_… kinda." Even though she was a little relieved to see that her leader was still in good spirits, she was also a little annoyed that he didn't seem to be taking her question seriously.

"Can't I just go out fer a meal with my good friend and trusted second-in-command without havin' a particular reason?"

"Not you, Ace…" she answered confidently. "I know you, and you never do anything just for the heck of it. You've always gotta have some kind of motive or reason for pretty much everything you do."

"Ya know this isn't a mission, Lex. It's dinner…"

"That doesn't matter…" she persisted, determined to get through his jokes, "it almost seems like you're meeting up for a _date_ with someone. If that was the case, I could've just easily gone with Slam and Duck to the Food Court or something so you could have some privacy. I don't really see how I could be anything but a third wheel in a situation like this. So, I just wanna know why you feel the need to bring me along."

The air fell silent for a bit as it looked like Ace was busy trying to conjure up an appropriate response. Of course, she knew she had jumped the gun a bit by readily assuming that he had a girlfriend, but it was the easiest way she could think of to get her point across.

A third wheel. Over the years, that was a feeling she had truly come to detest. For as long as she'd known, Lexi had always been the type of person who would try and make herself seem as friendly and open as possible when around other people. She never knew why, she just figured that was the way you were supposed to act. Consequentially, the feeling of being more of an intrusion than a welcome presence became a very uncomfortable one for her... perhaps even a fear. Certainly, there were times when her desire to avoid this feeling would win over her usually warmer persona and cause her to become hesitant or under-confident.

Looking back, she could remember the consistently vibrant and positive spirit that she possessed as a kid and it made her realize just how much of an issue this had become for her over the years… the desire to fit in, to be accepted rather than rejected. Even though it had, in some way, affected her throughout her life, it wasn't until fairly recently that it became a real issue for her, but that was another story entirely, one she didn't always like to talk about. Joining the Loonatics had certainly had a more positive effect on her, as she felt she could be more like her warm and vibrant self when around her newfound friends (and being on a team of superheroes was certainly a confidence booster.) But still, she found it to be a personal conflict that continued even to this day and would for some time to come... one she worked harder at resolving with each passing day.

And here, Ace still hadn't even admitted who he was supposed to be seeing once they got there. Was it a family member? A friend? A crush? She knew there wasn't much basis in accusing him of meeting up for a date, but both his peculiar desire for privacy and his subtle sense of urgency seemed to make it the more likely answer. Could Ace really have a girlfriend? Thus far, he hadn't said anything to prove her otherwise.

Ace sighed, feeling somewhat defeated. "Alright, ya got me," he admitted, but with a vibe which implied that it wasn't a very big secret to begin with. "I was actually hopin' ta get yer opinion on somethin'."

"Hmm?" Lexi seemed somewhat puzzled.

Without another word, he reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt and pulled out a small, black rectangular box, which he handed it to her. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but seeing Ace gesture for her to open it up made it pretty clear. Curiously, she removed the top half of the box and was taken aback by what she saw inside.

It was a necklace that was composed of small triangular pieces of silver strung together by a thin silver chain. The necklace's centerpiece was a large diamond-shaped piece of silver decorated with two crescent-shaped silver pieces on either side of the diamond's top corner that vaguely resembled over-stylized wings. In the center of the main diamond, there sat a beautiful scarlet-red gemstone that was cut in the same shape as the silver it was embedded in. Additionally, an arrangement of eight small, circular diamond gems surrounded the ruby, with one outside each corner and side.

"Ace…" Lexi said after taking in the sight of the jewelry.

"Whaddya think?" he asked anxiously.

"…it's beautiful! How'd you manage to get something like this?"

"I've been savin' up fer a while now, both with some money I've kept safe fer a couple years now, and with tha little allowances we get from Zadavia every now and then fer food and clothes and stuff."

"So that's why it seems like you never want to spend any money."

Ace laughed, "Yeah."

"It must've taken you quite a while before you could afford something like this. Are those _real_ gemstones?"

He threw her a smirk, "I'm glad ya think so, but I ain't made o' money. They're about as real as ya can get without having to sell off yer own foot."

"Well," Lexi concluded sweetly, "it _still_ looks lovely…"

"I thought ya'd like it. You and her seem ta have similar tastes fer stuff like this…"

"So…" she began to ask, realizing what he meant, "this is for _her?_"

"Yep! Yesterday was her birthday, so I wanted to get her somethin' special. Now that I know that _you_ like it, I just know that she's gonna love it!" he remarked while taking the box back from her and putting it back into his pocket.

"I'm sure she will…" she affirmed, her voice dropping slightly. Ace never did answer her question directly, but he didn't have to anymore. You don't give something like to someone who's just a friend. This had to be a date, and the bunny suddenly found herself feeling _very_ uncomfortable. To think, she could be off stuffing her face full of carnival food with Slam and Duck right now, or even off helping Tech and Rev set up that Ferris wheel of theirs… but instead, she was stuck here, doomed to be the dreaded third wheel.

But whether or not Ace was aware of his friend's newfound discomfort, she was determined not to let it show too much. Whether she liked it or not, she was here, and it would be best if she tried to go along with the situation as best she could. She figured that she could fake a smile easily enough if she had to. If she had nowhere else to go, she at least didn't want to place any extra burden on Ace, or the girl he had with him… assuming this actually _was _a date. As sure as she was, she couldn't help but feel like there was something more going on that Ace wasn't letting her in on. In a way, she was still convinced that there _had_ to be another reason he wanted to keep her around. But what could it be?

"Oh wait, there she is!" he finally announced after they had ended walking in silence for a moment or two. He promptly began walking ahead to the person he managed to spot in the crowd.

Lexi, on the other hand, ended up stopping dead in her tracks. This was it. She was finally going to see the one they had gone out their way to visit, the one Ace seemed so excited to meet… the girl he was giving that necklace to. Without really knowing why, she instinctively closed her eyes and turned her head slightly as if she wasn't ready to face her. She passively wondered why she felt as nervous as she did, which was a little more than she would usually get in these kinds of situations. Why was she so nervous?

She knew she couldn't stay like this forever though, and came to the conclusion that it would be better to force her eyes open sooner rather than later. But before she could, she found a phrase repeating itself over and over in the recesses of her mind, one that she was sure she'd probably feel ashamed for thinking of later…

_"Please let her be ugly… please let her be ugly…"_

Once her eyes had pried open enough to see, she took a look ahead and quickly found Ace who was currently wrapped up in a strong embrace with someone just a few feet away. The girl was an anthro bunny who stood a few inches shorter than he did and whose fur color was a slightly lighter shade of gray than his. Her straight hair barely fell past her shoulders and was blonde, though a darker shade than Lexi's, and seemed to be mixed with the occasional hints of brown. She was dressed in a jade-colored long sleeve shirt on top of a light green blouse that reached just past her knees. But aside from all of that, there was one feature in particular that seemed to grab her attention most of all…

She looked older… in fact, quite a bit older than Ace…

The two of them released each other from their hug and Ace turned back towards Lexi before ushering the woman over in her direction. Lexi was now profoundly confused. Unless Ace was into the whole "cougar" thing (which she was sure he wasn't), the woman looked far too old to be his girlfriend. In fact, she looked like she could even pass for his mother…

"Lexi," he began upon reaching her, apparently deciding not to use her alias, "there's someone I'd like ya ta meet. This here is Ms. Pamela Bunny… my mom!"

Lexi's mind had gone so quiet that she was sure that she had all but forgotten how to think.

_"Ooooohhhhhhhhhhhh…"_ her brain finally managed to piece together. Of course Ace was meeting his mom… would he really have time for a girlfriend when he was the leader of a crime-fighting team of superheroes? She should've known better, and now she only felt profoundly _stupid_. Relief flooded across her disposition as she offered the two of them a smile.

But, before she greeted them, she came across another realization… one that wasn't quite so pleasant…

_"Dammit, Ace… you were leading me along this whole time on purpose, weren't you?"_

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><p><strong>Yayy, you're done! <strong>

**Well that's it for part one of what was originally supposed to be all of Ch. 4. In the next part, we will get to see what Tech and Rev come up with to restart the Loona-Loop... we'll get to see what other messes Duck and Slam can get themselves into... and we'll have the opportunity to finally meet Ace's mom. What fun! Anyway, like I said, I should have part two up within about a week from now and it should only be _slightly_ longer than this one. Even with all my college work and stuff, I feel confident about making this deadline...**

**So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave me a review if you don't mind as I LOVE any kind of feedback (it makes me feel special...) Thanks to everyone who is reading my story, and I hope that one of these future chapters will blow your mind! o.O hehe**

**Anyway, I should probably wrap up these author's notes, I still have Organic Chemistry homework to do... XP**

**Keep your eyes peeled for part two and I will see you guys later!**


	5. The Festival (pt 2)

**So yeah, four weeks... :/ For any normal chapter, four weeks would've been awesome, but considering I said I'd have this out three weeks ago, I think its pretty safe to say that I suck at deadlines.**

**These past few weeks have been pretty stressful for me. I've had an all-nighter for a speech, a Genetics test that I wasn't aware of until the night before, and three weekends spent in the stands playing an instrument in the stands at a college football game. This past weekend required me to spend all of Friday and Saturday on a bus trip to Dallas, which is roughly six hours from where I go to school. Aside from all that, I greatly underestimated the work required to finish this chapter. Sure, I had the majority of it done four weeks ago, but I didn't realize the "last little bit" I had left would end up being a good 8,000 words in itself. That, and I found it hard to write in general. That being said, if it starts to seem a little rushed at the end, that's probably why.**

**Anway, pity party aside, I do actually really like the way this chapter turned out. It's the LONGEST chater I've put up so far (and I'm sorry I couldn't find a good way to cut stuff) but it still seems pretty good to me. But this is why I decided to split the last chapter into two parts. If I didn't the chapter would've been a good 40,000 words. Yeesh.**

**Before I just delve into the chapter, I want to go ahead and address a few things I got in the reviews from my last chapter:**

**- Guest Reviewer #2: It's funny that you should mention me writing a third season. That might just be something to look for in the future ;) Of course, I would need to finish out this story first, but...**

**- Guest Reviewer #3: I'm glad you seem to like my story, but I'm scared that I might disappointing you if you're trying to steer clear of tragic backstories. It's not to say that I'll be giving everyone some sort of uber-dramatic sob story, but some of the stories I'll be getting into can get a bit heavy and/or emotional at times, and some will certaily have some tragic elements mixed in. Nothing major, but it's just something to be aware of. I hope that's okay...? =)**

**One last thing, be prepared for more science, courtesy of Tech and Rev. Honestly, I think everyone figured out what Rev had in mind for his plan, but I guess it really wasn't that much of a surprise. But for those of you physics nerds out there - hold onto your hats - my science might ACTUALLY be kinda plausible :O If you don't know what the machine is that they make, you can probably just google it.**

**Anyway, these author's notes are plenty long enough, so let's just jump right in. I'll talk some more at the end. The disclaimer from the last chapter applies here as well!**

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 5 – The Festival (pt. 2)<strong>

A Wimshurst machine.

A makeshift one at best… modified in a few important places, but still effective. It was a good thing that Tech had some extra equipment with him in his backpack, or they might've been out of luck. Following Rev's idea, the two of them integrated a Wimshurst machine into an exercise bike, giving them a way to generate a potentially massive electrical current.

They replaced the one front wheel with two thinner, solid plastic ones, making sure to leave a gap between them. With some clever tweaking of the bike's mechanics they even rigged the machine to spin the two wheels in opposite directions. Strips of conductive metals were carefully arranged on the outside surfaces of both wheels and metal brushes were mounted to make contact with the strips as they spun. Each wheel was connected to a metal probe that would collect the created charges, and they were placed close enough together to allow the charges to jump between them, creating a current flow. Finally, and most importantly, they attached a series of wires and tubes to the bike that would capture and funnel the current into the battery. As an extra precaution, they also added a variety of extra braces and supports, in order for the bike to safely handle all the work it was going to be put through. Was it an ideal machine? Probably not… but it could certainly get the job done, and between the two of them, they had successfully rigged the device in just ten minutes.

Of course, putting the machine together and making it run were two completely different things. To generate the charge, the wheels needed to spin. To generate a _usable_ charge, the spinning had to be fast… _really_ fast. That's why Rev was already propping himself up onto the bike seat, ready to take on the challenge. It was his idea after all, and he was the only one who could hit the necessary speeds.

Tech, in contrast, still held some reservations. "Are you sure you want to do this, Rev?" he asked with a hint of concern.

"Absolutely-positively-and-you-can-count-on-that-Tech-'cause-if-there's-anyone-who-can-get-the-job-done-right-it's-me!"

Tech couldn't help but smirk at the runner's attitude, "Alright, but let me clear up a few things before you get started. When I give you the signal, I want you to start off as slowly as possible. We need to make sure that the machine even works, so I don't want you over-exerting yourself right from the get-go. If I don't tell you to stop, you can start speeding up, but still want take it easy. I don't know how much current we have to produce before the battery starts charging, and I don't want you overdoing it. I'll let you know once it starts charging, and we'll judge what to do from there."

"No-need-to-worry-about-me-boss-I've-got-everything-completely-perfectly-100%-under-control!"

He had to admit that Rev's confidence was reassuring, but he still couldn't shake his conviction that there had to be another, simpler way that they had just overlooked. He wasn't undercutting the value of Rev's idea – in fact, he mentally scolded himself for not thinking of it first – but such a method presented some… risks.

It was a popular misconception that whenever Rev tapped into his powers to run or fly, he would always do so at full speed. In reality, doing so would be extremely inefficient and more than a little unnecessary. To put it more simply, would anyone want to push themselves all the way up to almost 10,000 mph when they could just stay at a much more comfortable 1000 mph and _still_ leave almost everything else in the dust behind them?

Of course, by virtue of both his powers and his own body chemistry, the roadrunner was completely capable of reaching such incredible speeds. Being an avian, not only was his body naturally more aerodynamically designed, but he was equipped with some of the most efficient respiratory and circulatory systems in the animal kingdom. His body was profoundly capable of transporting huge amounts of blood and oxygen to all of his various muscles and tissues quickly and effectively, and his powers sped up the process to an almost unrealistic rate.

Still, that didn't mean Rev was without limits. Running at his speeds required massive amounts of energy and, in an effort to conserve some, he would often switch from running to flight upon reaching some of his higher velocities. In fact, Rev rarely ever _ran_ at four-digit speeds, not because he didn't want to, but because it usually wasn't necessary.

The day Rev had discovered his maximum speed, he had done so almost by accident during a team training session. Monitors and sensors estimated a speed that neared 9900 mph, but Rev could only manage it for a few seconds before collapsing from exhaustion. On top of that, the runner was forced to quit for the rest of the day because of the intense pain in his legs. He walked with a slight limp for a day or two afterwards and even felt soreness for as long as an entire week.

Of course, that was a long time ago, and Tech knew that Rev wouldn't be going anywhere near his _top_ speed this time. But it was still discerning that he didn't know just how fast his friend would have to pedal, and how long he would have to maintain it. He couldn't help but ask him one more time.

"Are you _absolutely_ sure you want to do this, Rev?"

"I-don't-see-why-you're-getting-so-worked-up-about-this-Tech-I-mean-it's-just-an-exercise-bike-I'm-perfectly-capable-of-handling-this!Why-do-you-keep-asking-is-something-on-your-mind?"

Tech was more worried about whether or not he _should _do it, since he was sure that he _could. _As much as he wanted the ride fixed, the idea of Rev putting himself into such a demanding position because of _his _mistake wasn't very comforting. Tech passively wondered if Rev was acting so carefree simply because he wasn't aware of the potential risks. But then again, Rev wasn't stupid, and no one could possibly know his own body more than he could. He was just being optimistic, as usual. It wasn't the most consoling realization, but he decided to place a little trust in his friend's confidence.

"Don't worry, it's nothing," the coyote dismissed.

"Okay. So-can-I-start-now?"

"Just give me a second to make sure everything is ready to go. Don't start until I say it's okay…"

"Aye-aye-cap'n!"

Tech walked back to where the battery was sitting and hooked up a small monitor to one of the ports, which flashed to life with some currently empty readings.

"Are you sure this is going to work, Tech?" a voice behind him questioned. He turned to find Mr. Grant sitting off behind him in an undersized plastic chair.

"Absolutely, sir. So long as Rev turns the wheels fast enough, we should be able to generate enough electricity to charge the battery in no time."

"I certainly hope so," the manager hinted in response. "I was taking a chance when I asked you to contribute something to the festival, Mr. Coyote. I even had to pull a few strings to make sure that everything could be situated. I don't mean to pressure you or anything, but I'd say there's a fair amount of credibility at stake for the both of us."

Tech didn't respond; he was well aware of that. Overhearing their exchange, Rev's attitude switched from casual to focused. There really were people counting on him now, and he wasn't going to let them down. He could do this…

"Alright Rev," Tech announced after a moment, "whenever you're ready…"

It took an extra dose of constraint for him to keep himself from bursting immediately into full speed, but he managed to ease the pedals into motion, maintaining a snail's pace for a few moments. Failing to hear any negative feedback, he started speeding up, first into a jog, then eventually a slow run.

On Tech's end, everything appeared to be registering okay. His monitor showed that the machine was in fact producing some charge, but the battery had yet to pick up on it. Rev was following orders well so far. Increasing his speed, but at a very steady pace, he had made it up to a normal running speed.

"_So far, so good…"_ he thought.

After about a solid minute, Rev had managed to bring himself up to a sprinting speed. He had yet to feel any sort of strain, but both of them were starting to grow anxious. "Anything-yet-Tech?" he called out.

"Not yet…" he called back, "just keep going, Rev… slow and steady…"

Following his friend's instruction, Rev kicked himself up another notch, entering speeds that were more exclusive of a typical roadrunner (though still perfectly casual for him.) Tech tried to stay optimistic, but he was beginning to worry about how much faster his friend would have to run before the battery picked up _anything._

In fact, for the next minute or so, he couldn't bring himself to take his eyes off his monitor. Staring it down, he was almost mentally willing the screen to yield some kind of result, as if it might actually help. He was so focused that it almost came as a surprise when the fat 0% reading finally changed into a 1%.

"H-hey Rev, we finally got something!" he announced, his budding excitement stammering his voice a bit. Knowing that it really _was_ possible for the battery to be charged this way,he was granteda little peace of mind. Looking up, Tech saw that Rev had sped himself up significantly. His eyes weren't glowing, which meant that he hadn't _truly_ tapped into his powers yet, but he was still moving at a speed that the runner could finally call "fast." A few odd beads of sweat forming over his brow let the coyote know his friend was finally getting a workout.

"Okay Rev, we're getting a charge now," he addressed, "so try and keep yourself around that speed, okay?" He felt it was probably a good time to keep him from going any faster.

"Can-do-Tech!" he sounded back, spirits lifted knowing that they were finally getting somewhere. It was a good sign, but they still had a long way to go…

•

It was about a good five minutes before Rev started to feel any sort of fatigue. He had remained diligent in keeping up his current speed thus far and he felt that he still had plenty of energy left to burn, but after this much time continuously sprinting on an exercise bike, he was becoming more and more aware of his own breathing. He also came to realize that he hadn't heard so much as a peep from Tech the entire time. Looking over, he saw that the inventor and the ride manager seemed to be discussing something. Curiosity piqued, he trained his ears in their direction and managed to pick up a few things.

"How's it holding up?" Mr. Grant inquired.

"It's slow going right now, but we're making progress," Tech replied matter-of-factly. "The battery's at 8% so far…"

_Eight percent?! Was that it?! _Rev was a little distraught to hear that his efforts so far had yielded so little. The manager mimicked his concerns.

"So far, it doesn't seem quite as fast as you were making it out to be. How much longer do you think we need?" His voice was still polite, but his tone was growing firmer.

Tech's voice was becoming uneasy, "Well, it's kind of inconsistent… but it looks like, on average, the battery charges up one percent about every thirty to forty seconds. At this rate, I'd say we're looking at about an hour…"

"_An hour?!"_ Rev thought. He was still in decent shape, but he wasn't sure if he could last _that_ long.

"If you ask me, you'd have been better off using the generator if it was going to take this much time." Mr. Grant's impatience was becoming more noticeable.

"Don't worry sir," Tech reassured, "I'm sure we'll start getting faster results once the battery gets more accustomed to the current. It's only a matter of time." It sounded like a good excuse, but that's all it was. He and Rev both knew that the only way the battery could charge quicker was by moving the pedals faster, but that was an issue the coyote was purposely trying to avoid; He didn't want Rev thinking that overworking himself was the only way to get results. He wasn't even too sure how effective a simple speed increase would be. Would it even be worth it?

But of course, Rev was already having this conflict. It was an uncomfortable feeling for him, knowing that his idea, his efforts - and in a sense, his own abilities - were failing… and the consequences were just around the corner. Feelings like these were the ones he hated most, ones that seemed to form unrelenting knots in the pit of his conscience. If there was ever anything he _could_ do for someone, he would make sure and do everything in his power to pull through. It was just the kind of guy he was... After thinking it over, he found himself with a renewed sense of will and determination. He still had plenty of fight left in him and, as far as he was concerned, there was no reason to give up just yet. It was time to kick it up a notch…

Meanwhile, Tech was busy with his own concerns. Should he tell Rev to try and run even faster, or reserve his judgment a little while longer? Of course, he soon found out that the decision wasn't his to make, as the numbers on the screen made a sudden jump upward, effectively catching his attention.

"Hey, now _that's_ more like it!" Mr. Grant exclaimed. He had been keeping an eye on the screen as well and was relieved to see some substantial progress. "I guess you were right… it just needed some more time to warm up…"

But Tech knew that wasn't the reason at all. Looking up, he saw that Rev was moving _much_ faster now, enough for his eyes to finally start glowing red. His easygoing expression had been replaced by a more serious one and his face was visibly revealing his exertion. If he hadn't been pushing himself before, he certainly was now. Judging from how appropriately-timed his sudden sense of urgency was, he rightly assumed that Rev had overheard what he and Mr. Grant had been discussing.

Tech knew how his friend's mind worked. Whether Rev would acknowledge it or not, he had come to know that the roadrunner harbored a core desire to please people. Occasionally, it would even be strong enough to push him to absurd or unrealistic lengths all for the sake of others. That's why he had been trying to keep the issue quiet as much as possible. But now that Rev had found out regardless, concern slowly started to claw its way through the back of the coyote's mind.

But before he could get carried away, he chose to take another look at his friend. Since it looked like Rev still had plenty of fight left in him, and the battery was finally up to speed, he chose to keep his thoughts grounded. As long as things were running smoothly, there was no reason in worrying just yet...

•

Rev ended up losing track of exactly how much time had passed, but he guessed it to be around five or ten minutes.

All he knew for certain was that his legs were on fire.

All of this sustained activity was finally starting to get to him and he could feel himself tiring out. According to Tech, the battery had just passed the halfway point about a minute ago and was increasing by about 1% every ten seconds. It was certainly progress he could be proud of, but he was starting to wonder if he could last long enough to reach 100%.

Tech was wondering this too. He noticed the runner's movements were becoming much more labored and deliberate, and it looked like his face was trying its best to mask the occasional wince of pain or discomfort. This was the kind of situation he was afraid of. "Hey Rev," he called out, "you can slow it down a bit if you want… the battery's been charging pretty well so far. Why don't you take a break?"

Rev wasn't sure if his partner wanted him to just slow down or to stop completely, but as tempting as both suggestions were, he knew they were out of the question. If he stopped, he was almost certain the battery would lose any charge it had gathered thus far, so it puzzled it him that Tech had even suggested that. As much as he felt like quitting, he wasn't going to step off that bike until the job was done.

Slowing down was a more reasonable suggestion, but he couldn't bring himself to do that either. A slower speed meant a slower charge, and the last thing Rev wanted to do was spend even _more_ time on the bike. Thinking that over, he reasoned that there was really only one way for him to finish briefly wondered if his legs could manage it, but by then they were already acting.

Knowing Rev wouldn't accept his suggestions, Tech found himself staring intently at the monitor once again, quietly wishing for the whole process to finish as quickly and smoothly as possible. The battery had just hit 63% and he was estimating about another five or six minutes at this rate.

Assuming Rev could keep it up that long...

But suddenly, he noticed another jump in the current levels and an even louder noise coming from the bike wheels. He quickly returned his gaze back to his partner and was surprised by what he saw. As much as he didn't expect Rev to slow down, he didn't think he would _speed up_. But sure enough, the roadrunner had found a way to push himself even further with feet that were moving so fast they were starting to look like solid red and black circles. It may have just been an assumption, but Tech had a gut feeling that it wouldn't be long before Rev hit his limit.

"Rev," he tried calling out again, "you don't need to push yourself… you're doing just fine!"

But his words had no effect. The speedster continued to rocket onward despite how much his legs begged for reprieve. His eyes had narrowed sharply both from his sheer determination and the mounting pains he was trying his best to ignore. His body had hunched itself into an almost streamlined position over the bicycle, which now looked like it could fall apart at any minute from the raw amount of force he was exerting.

This was fast. Even for Rev.

"REV, YOU'RE –" Tech attempted to raise his voice in protest once again, when the readings on the monitor stole his attention. The battery was charging up a full percent every almost every second.

His astonishment was beyond words. Rev had increased his speed practically tenfold and the current charge rate rivaled the one he had observed this morning. In other words, the amount of electricity that Rev was generating now would almost be enough to power the entire HQ Tower! Seeing such a development melted most of the coyote's concerns into astonishment… or rather… excitement. He never anticipated results like these… it was almost exhilarating. They'd be finished in no time at this rate. He even surprised himself when instead of trying to hold the roadrunner back, he suddenly found himself cheering him on.

"You're doing great, Rev! Just a little while longer… you can do this!"

Was he hearing things, or was Tech actually encouraging him now? Rev tried not to overthink it, but he found it comforting to at least have some extra support. If only his body didn't seem to be at such odds with his efforts. It was like his mind and his legs were locked in some kind of unbearable struggle, the muscles in his legs screaming for him to let up before they gave out, and his mind urging him to fight on, if only for a bit. It was a tough battle, but Rev was determined that his mind could win out.

_"You've-got-this-Rev,"_ he mentally encouraged himself, _"it'll-only-hurt-for-a-little-while... just-keep-it-up..."_

Meanwhile, Tech watched intently as the number on the monitor continued to climb. 69%... 70%... 71%...

"Come on Rev," he urged, keeping up his show of support, "I know you can do it!"

_"Just-ignore-the-pain... just-keep-pushing..."_

74%... 75%... 76%...

"You're doing great, buddy! Keep it up!"

_"Everyone's-counting-on-you... just-a-little-longer..."_

81%... 82%...

"Come on, Rev... you can do this..."

_"It-doesn't-hurt..."_

85%... 86%...

"I believe in you!"

_"I-won't-be-beaten..."_

90%... 91%...

"Almost there...!"

_**"I-refuse...!"**_

A few drops of sweat graced the coyote's head as he waited silently in stunned anticipation, the battery nearing its maximum capacity.

97%... 98%... 99%...

_...100%!_

**"YES!"** The exclamation practically exploded from his mouth like a reflex to finally seeing that elusive three-digit number. "Rev, you did it! The battery's charged!"

With hasty excitement, Tech yanked the various cords and wires from the battery's ports and threw them off to the side. He threw one of his magnetic fields over the battery and ran with it over to the stairs that led to the control room.

Rev, on the other hand, was still in the process of slowing down. His face was covered in beaded sweat, his chest rose and fell frantically as his body struggled to take in enough air, and frankly, he was surprised to see that his legs were still attached to him, considering how much pain they were in. At this point, he wanted nothing more than to just collapse on the spot, but he knew that probably wasn't a good idea. Stopping so abruptly after moving so quickly wouldn't be good for his legs, or the bike. So, he forced himself to stick it out for just a few more moments to allow him a more gradual stop. It didn't bother him too much though, considering he had done exactly what he intended to do. For now, his work was done.

But of course, he wouldn't feel completely satisfied until he had closure... closure that Tech would hopefully provide in just a moment...

Once inside the control box, Tech knelt down underneath the control panel and opened the battery compartment. He set it down in place with his powers and quickly reattached the necessary wires. With the push of a button, the battery started up, just as it had before. Closing the door, he stood back up and grabbed hold of the large green lever.

"Here goes nothing..." he muttered before pulling.

After what seemed like the longest second of his life, the wheel lit up like a Christmas tree and the pods started to rotate slowly, assuming a more proper starting position. For Tech, the validation was overwhelming. They had done it... the ride was working, at last! The people waiting in the crowd down below offered fitting background music to their success with scattered bouts of applause, cheering, whistling, and various other noises of both awe and delight._Their_ wait was finally over too. Listening to their praise, Tech's face relaxed into a smile filled with relief and satisfaction... that was, until he remembered something else.

Looking back over the side wall of the control box, he saw Rev collapsed on top of the bicycle down below, having finally come to a stop. His body was lying almost completely limp with the bottom of his beak resting on the front end and both his arms sprawled over the handlebars, trying to catch his breath. The sight quickly reminded of who had been doing all the work, and he found it unfitting to revel in the success of the moment any longer.

Tech made his way down from the control box and immediately walked over to the bicycle that held up the emaciated roadrunner. "Hey Rev..." he began softly, "how're you feeling?"

As if it were tiresome, he took a second before responding. Turning and lifting his face towards him, he offered an unfitting - yet truly characteristic - beaming grin. As he spoke, his pace was much slower and more labored, likely due to the shortness of his breath.

"It worked Tech..." he managed to say in between huffs, "just like... I said it would..."

Tech offered him an empathetic smile, "Yeah... you were right, it did. But you don't look so good..."

"Yeah... I am a little... tired... but besides that... I feel great!"

His reply wasn't convincing, "You sure about that?"

"Absolutely...!"

"You think you can get off that bike?"

"I think so..." his voice lost a bit of confidence as he started propping himself back into an upright position. He was glad that his upper body didn't hurt, at least.

The moment he picked up his left foot from the pedal though, he felt a sharp pain shoot up his leg, causing him to wince. He waited a second to let the pain subside before he realized that both of his legs were trembling, almost limply, weakened from the over-exertion. As he continued to try and lift his leg, the pain had digressed into something more dull and fiery that radiated throughout every one of his muscles. It took all he had just to drag his leg over the seat. Once, he managed, however, he found that his stationary leg was far too weak to support the full weight of his body and he began falling over with a startled gasp. Fortunately, Tech was prepared and caught the runner by his shoulders before he hit the ground, his legs still clinging to parts of the bike. Looking up at his friend, Rev chuckled sheepishly.

Tech sighed, "Rev, I thought I told you not to push yourself too hard." His attempt at playing the "wise man" in this situation fell flat once he remembered that he had been cheering him on just moments ago. Feeling hypocritical, the words left a bitter taste in his mouth, but he stood by them hoping that Rev wouldn't bring it up. He didn't.

"I got it working though... didn't I...?" he defended.

"But you're in _pain._"

"Just a little... I just need to rest for a bit... I'm sure if you give me... just a few minutes... I'll be good as new...!"

Tech frowned, "Well, I'm not so sure about that last part... but you _are_ right about one thing. The best thing you can do now is rest." He surveyed the immediate area and quickly located an empty bench beside the bumper cars, just a few feet away. "Come on, let's set you down over here."

He had only just begun to pull him partway onto his back before Rev protested. "Hey... I can walk there myself..." He conceded after the coyote threw him a half-incredulous look. "Fine..."

While he walked, he tried his best to keep his friend as still as possible, but with the added weight on his shoulders and the rocky, uneven ground beneath him, every step the coyote took perturbed the roadrunner ever so slightly. If the movement jolted his legs, he would hear a small, stifled grunt or a suppressed wince as a reaction, urging him to try and move even more carefully. They reached the bench in a matter of moments and, even more meticulously than before, he helped Rev off of his back and into a comfortable sitting position.

Immediately, Rev began to slouch backward, spreading his arms outwardly so that he could breathe easier, his legs practically immobile to avoid any more unwanted pain. Rev could play the strongman all he wanted, but to Tech he looked like a complete and exhausted mess. He couldn't help but feel partly responsible, and knowing that the fastest one on the team couldn't move his legs left him with an uncomfortable mix of worry and guilt.

"Mr. Coyote," he heard a voice behind him call, "I must say that you've got quite an impressive machine here. Would you mind showing us how it works?" Tech turned to find that Mr. Grant was speaking openly to him from inside the control room. He had honestly forgotten all about him and was a bit surprised to see him standing there. He must've been so caught up in the situation with Rev that he ended up ignoring his presence.

His words dully reminded him that his job wasn't finished yet as he still had to present his creation, both to the people, and to the employees who would be operating it. It felt odd at first for him to get back to work so quickly, but he knew it was probably for the better. There wasn't much else he could do for his friend at this point, and this would give him some much-needed time to recuperate.

"Alright Rev, I have to get back to the ride for now," he informed. "You just stay here and try not to move anything. You need to rest. I'll be right back in a few minutes to check on you again, okay?"

Rev didn't say anything in response, but instead offered a weak smile and a simple thumbs-up to show that he understood.

Tech still felt like he needed to add something. "And if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to –"

"Don't worry about it Tech," Rev interrupted with a much more stern, yet still understanding voice. For that moment, he made sure that his words weren't meddled with frantic gasps for air to ensure that his point was made. Tech worried too much, especially when he felt like he could shoulder any sort of blame. "I'll be fine."

His message came across loud and clear. "If you say so..." Tech mumbled, before turning around. "Thanks again, Rev..." he added genuinely after he began walking away. Rev only chuckled in response, knowing that his teammate was already out of the range his weakened voice could travel. His laugh seemed to sum it all up for the inventor though, who couldn't help but grin to himself as he joined Mr. Grant in the control room.

"Is he gonna be alright?" the manager asked him, finally acknowledging Rev's condition instead of the ride.

"I'm sure he will."

• • •

His whole presentation had taken a good twenty minutes. After conversing briefly with Mr. Grant, he stepped out in front of the crowd and essentially mimicked the speech and demonstration he had given his teammates that morning. He walked through each of the ride's unique "modes" one by one and even pulled out a few volunteers for better illustration.

He couldn't have asked for a better crowd. Not only were they a manageable size for him, they seemed to hang on his every word. They would cheer, laugh, or even gasp almost every time they were supposed to. In fact, their reactions were helping to grab the attention of passerbys who were starting to crowd in as well, intrigued by _The Circuit's_ new addition.

Once he was finished with the general public, he took a moment to teach a few ride attendees how to operate the ride as well as what they should do if and when certain issues came up. He even chose to stand by during the ride's first few runs to help guide them through the process and answer any questions. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Grant thanked the inventor for his hard work and gladly dismissed him (asking him to also extend his gratitude to Rev.)

When he arrived back at the bench, he found it hard to tell that Rev had actually collapsed from exhaustion just moments ago. He seemed alert, happy, and energetic. In other words, he seemed perfectly normal. He was even the first to speak upon his friend's arrival. "Great-speech-Tech-you-practically-had-them-eating-out-of-your-hands!" His voice was even back up to speed.

"How're you holding up?" Tech asked, ignoring his comment.

"I'm-doing-just-fine! It-was-a-good-thing-you-had-to-give-that-presentation-before-we-left-since-it-gave-me-some-time-to-catch-my-breath-otherwise-I-might-not-have-been-in-good-enough-shape-to-really-enjoy-the-festival."

"What about your legs?"

"They're-fine..." Tech kept his gaze held sternly on the roadrunner, already knowing that he was keeping something from him. "Okay..." he eventually admitted, "so-they're-still-a-little-stiff... and-it-feels-like-they-might-be-swollen-a-bit... _but_-at-least-the-pain's-gone-down! _And_-it-doesn't-feel-like-my-legs-are-on-fire-anymore-so-I'd-say-I'm-doing-pretty-good!"

"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice softening.

"Of-course!"

As much as he suspected that Rev was still making light of his current condition, he was pretty sure that he wasn't being lied to. Since his superpowers also had an effect on his body chemistry, it also meant that the runner's body was generally quicker to recover than most people's. It certainly wasn't significant enough to be considered a special ability, but Rev was known to naturally heal quicker than normal from most internal or external wounds, recuperate faster from things like physical exhaustion, and even spend less time fighting off illnesses and infections.

In light of that, he knew it really was possible for most of Rev's more moderate ailments to largely subside by now. But, reminding himself of his condition beforehand, he knew it was going to take some time before he was actually "good as new" as he so claimed. Still, he realized that petty arguing wasn't going to get the runner to take himself more seriously. So, with a dismissive sigh, he decided it would be best to just drop the issue.

"I guess I'll just have to trust you on that one..." he said frankly. "Anyway, we still have some time before the recognition ceremony. What do you feel like doing?"

"Hmmm..." Rev thought aloud, "actually... I'm-more-hungry-than-anything-right-now." He felt his stomach growl. "In-fact... I'm-_really_ -get-something-to-eat?"

Tech relaxed his expression. It made sense that Rev would be hungry considering how much energy he had just burned. "I guess we can grab ourselves an early dinner... I'm pretty hungry myself. What do you feel like eating?"

"Well... I-don't-know-about-you-but-I-could-really-go-for-a-nice-big-corn-on-the-cob! I-know-they-have-this-one-place-at-the-Food-Court-somewhere-that-sells-some-that-are-almost-as-big-as-a-turkey-leg! And-they-even-put-all-kinds-of-different-stuff-on-'em-too!"

Tech chuckled, "Sounds good to me. You need any help getting there?"

"I-told-you-Tech-I'm-fine!" Rev's voice was growing firmer now, cementing his position on a tired suggestion. "I-can-walk-there-perfectly-fine-on-my-own."

Despite his confidence, he quickly found out how long and burdensome a process standing up was oncehe realized just how heavy his legs felt. His muscles ached from having to move again after such a long break period, and their occasional trembling further complicated the process. Once Rev managed to pull himself fully upright, he felt a hot, heavy pain flow throughout his legs, as if the renewed blood flow stung the insides of his veins. But, it only lasted a moment, and the pain quickly passed away, leaving behind only the familiar soreness.

"See...?" Rev faked, "no-problem-at-all." But, once Rev took a step forward and his foot hit the ground, he winced as the same pain instantly flashed back through his front leg. His knee buckled from under its own weight and he began to fall forward. Fortunately, Tech was anticipating some trouble and stopped his friend's descent with a hand placed firmly against his chest, and his other arm placed carefully over the shoulders behind his head.

"Actually... maybe-I-could-just-use-some-help-until-we-get-to-the-Food-Court..." he confessed after regaining his composure.

"No problem," Tech replied as the two of them started walking together, Rev using him as a sort of crutch.

As they left the area, they ended up walking by the queue line for the ride which had now become quite large with all kinds of eager and intrigued fairgoers. As people in line took notice of the two Loonatics passing by, applause and cheering to started to build out of nowhere until almost everyone gathered was giving them some kind of attention. After a moment, a distinct chant started to separate itself from the overbearing noise.

They were chanting Rev's name.

The speedster could only bring himself to smile back at them as they passed, laughing politely out of embarrassment.

• • • • •

Pulling up a spoonful of the liquid, she let some of the freshly warm vapors reach her nose before blowing. It smelled decent enough.

On the table before her sat a humble plastic bowl filled with the sharp-orange broth, complimented with a loaf of garlic bread. Ace's mother sat directly across from her at the circular picnic table where they were eating, and Ace was sitting equidistant from both girls on Lexi's left. On Ace's request all three of them ordered a bowl of the restaurant's supposedly famous _purée of carrot _soup. Ace had already gulped down a few spoonfuls, while his mother chose to start off first with a side salad.

Carrot purées had the unfortunate tendency of being tasteless or sloppy when made by most people, so Lexi hesitated before her first taste, but she urged the spoon into her mouth before she could think too much about it. Fortunately, after giving the broth a thorough analysis with her taste buds, she was pleased to find that it wasn't bad at all… in fact, it was actually quite good. Had Ace been exaggerating about it? Probably. But the taste was so pleasingly rich and hearty that she didn't blame him for it.

"So… what's tha verdict?" Ace asked after watching her take the first spoonful.

"You were right, this _is_ pretty good! You can taste a lot of other things in it too, like tomatoes and other vegetables and stuff."

He laughed a little, "I don't know if it counts as a _true_ carrot purée with all that extra stuff, but it still tastes pretty good if ya ask me."

"I'll say," she added as she scooped more of the soup into her mouth. After a few more bites, she turned to her other companion, attempting to initiate conversation. "So… Ms. Bunny…"

"Oh, there's no need to act to act so formally around me," Pamela replied politely, "you can just call me 'Pam' if you want, Lexi." Her voice was a pleasant mix of both the sweetness and genuineness of a mother and the comfort of a close friend. She also noticed that, unlike her son, she didn't have a noticeable accent.

Lexi smiled at her, "Alright, _Pam_… it's nice to finally meet you! I know Ace has talked about you before, but it still feels weird for you to finally be sitting right in front of me… if that makes any sense…"

"Of course, I feel the same way!" she agreed with a polite chuckle. "It's wonderful to at last have the chance to meet one of my son's teammates. He talks about you guys all the time, and it always sounds like the six of you are so close…"

Lexi grinned inwardly as she noticed Ace paying more attention to his food than the conversation, likely a little embarrassed by his mother's fawning.

"In fact," she continued, "he's told me enough stories that I feel like I already know a lot about you all, even though I've only just met _you,_ Lexi."

"Is that so?" she questioned aloud, suspiciously. Ace was doing his best to avoid eye contact with either of them. This was something she had to pursue. "What kind of things has he said?"

Pamela's expression changed slightly, realizing that she had probably said too much. "Oh, I don't know…" she said while trying to sneak glances at her son, "perhaps it's not my place…"

"Oh don't worry about it," Lexi insisted, "I'd _really_ like to know. Besides, I'm sure it won't be anything I'm not already aware of anyway. You know, since Ace and I are just _so close_…"

"Well…" she mused, "…I suppose you're right." Even though she seemed a bit reluctant to indulge Lexi with what Ace had apparently confided in her, she also seemed a bit happy to share, as if it were a chance to prove her knowledge. Ace released a defeated breath before turning his gaze down toward his lap.

"For example, I've heard that you have trouble with sleepwalking sometimes, Lexi," she informed.

Lexi's eagerness dropped a few notches. "Wait, how did _you_ know about that?" she asked her teammate. Ace attempted for another second to dodge her eyesight, but quickly decided it best to explain himself.

"Ya know I'm a light sleepah, Lex. Since I usually wake up once er twice a night, I like ta go ta tha kitchen fer a glass o' water er somethin'. And… sometimes… yer already there…"

Lexi was aware of her occasional sleepwalking episodes, learning about her condition at a young age, but she had never really felt the need to tell anyone on the team about it. She couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. How long had he known about that?

"How come you never told me?" she asked with subtle urgency. "I don't do this every night, do I?"

"No-no-no," he was quick to calm her down, "it's only happened a _few_ times, and I wasn't sure if _you_ already knew about it er not. I was always meanin' ta ask ya, but I nevah knew how ta bring it up…"

Pam must've caught on to the uneasiness she was starting to feel because she quickly tried to move the conversation along. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you any, Lexi. I hope it wasn't anything too personal…"

""No, not at all," she quickly reassured. "Like I said, I already knew about that one."

"Well if it helps any," she offered, "I know plenty of things about Ace as well, being his mother and all…" Her words were docile, but her tone seemed almost… scheming. It reminded her of the way Ace would get whenever he was up to something.

Lexi picked up the insinuation and returned the tone, "Oh really…? What would those be?" Ace's cheeks went a little pink, not knowing what his mother might say.

"_Well_," she began as the two girls leaned in a little and started an exchange that sounded similar to two girlfriends gossiping over cups of coffee, "I don't know if he's already told you about this… but did you know that Ace is _deathly_ afraid of spiders?"

Being the team's leader, Ace wouldn't readily share things like what his personal fears were unless he felt that the situation called for it somehow. So, this was news to Lexi.

"Oh really..?" she asked connivingly.

"Yes, he's been _terrified_ of them ever since he was a little boy," she divulged. "In fact, I remember that he used to scream his poor little lungs out at the sight of one and run to me in tears, asking me to get rid of it for him."

Lexi stifled an actual laugh, but her face widened considerably in anticipation of how Ace was going to respond.

"Well, ya know that everyone's got somethin' they're scared of," Ace assured, "and I just always thought that spiders were really creepy, that's all. Besides, I was just a little kid at tha time."

"Actually," Pam corrected him, "if I remember correctly… you were doing that until you were about… eleven or twelve years old."

Ace flushed from embarrassment and Lexi's laugh was visible this time. Since Ace didn't seem to have anything else to add, his mother went ahead and said the obvious for him. "Of course, you _did_ grow out of it with time…"

Lexi suddenly found herself in very good spirits. "Oh it's okay, Ace…" she said in a half-serious tone of consolation while placing a hand on his shoulder, "you know we only tease because we care!"

Ace gave her a small scoff.

"And it's only fair that if I have to embarrass Lexi, then I have embarrass you as well, Ace," she concluded to her son with a somewhat mischievous smile.

"Yeah, sure…" he muttered, cheeks returning to normal color.

Now Lexi realized where Ace had inherited his more carefree attitude. Like her son, Pamela had a kind of playful air about her. She seemed to share the same knack for alleviating tensions through a light-hearted joke or gesture that her son had. Even if that sometimes made them prone to irking or – in this case – embarrassing someone, they never meant any harm by it. It was one of the traits that she had come to admire in her leader, and was happy to see it in his mother as well, because it was actually making her a little more comfortable. Still, for his sake, she decided to change the subject.

"So anyways, Pam… what do you do for a living?"

She took a sip of her own soup before answering, "I work as a nurse for a pediatric hospital downtown."

"Oh that's cool!" she responded. "You seem like the kind of person who'd work great with kids!"

Ace apparently shrugged off whatever uneasiness he may have had left as he threw himself back into the conversation with his usual attitude. "You kiddin'? She's one of tha best! Trust me when I say that she's got _scrapbooks_ filled with all tha little lettahs and pictures that her patients keep givin' her."

"Awww, that's sweet," Lexi commented with a giggle.

Pamela smiled, "It _is_ a bit demanding, but I couldn't ask for a better job. I always wanted to work in a hospital with patients, ever since I was a little girl. Sure the pay is a nice plus, but I honestly feel like the kids give me more to be happy about than a paycheck ever could."

Lexi smiled.

"It _certainly_ beats tha hell outta yer _old_ job…" Ace added, to which his mother lightly scoffed in agreement.

"Where did you used to work?" Lexi asked curiously.

"Well, I've worked at a few places in my life… but I think Ace is talking about the factory. For seventeen years after I graduated High School, I worked for a manufacturing plant."

"Wow, that's quite a while," she responded. The longest job experience she ever had was working at a bank for two years while she was in high school. It seemed like a long time to her then, but it completely paled in comparison. "What kind of factory was it?"

"It was a pretty standard place. We mostly made various synthetics and plastics that we would send as material to other factories. Of course, we had machines to do most of the real work, but people still had to be there to operate and monitor them. It wasn't a very glamorous job, but the pay was surprisingly good... probably because of all that dangerous equipment we had to deal with."

"To be honest, it sounds kinda boring," Lexi said with a laugh. "So, if you always wanted to be a nurse, why did you spend so much time at a place like that?"

"Like I said, the pay was good. Once I graduated, I decided to go to school for nursing and I was lucky enough to find a job that paid so well with just a high school diploma, so I picked up a shift part-time to help pay for my classes. I was only planning to stay there a few years before I got my degree and became a nurse... but I guess fate had other plans for me."

"About two years into my studies," she elaborated, "I met someone at the university and ended up falling in love, and you know what _that_ does to a young girl. After a while, my priorities changed, and I eventually decided to drop out of college so I could marry him and start a family. It was a difficult decision, but the timing just felt right. He seemed like such a sweet guy and he was getting into a high-profile government job that promised a lot for the both of us... and I was getting more and more settled into the plant and had just gotten my first promotion... so it seemed like a perfect opportunity. I had always just assumed that I could go back to school a few years down the road, and pick up the rest of my credits when I had the time."

"So what happened?" Lexi asked.

"Well, I got married when I was only 21 and had Ace just a year later. For a few years after that, things seemed to be going great. Ace was growing up nicely... we settled into our first house... he was getting promoted and I was thinking of going back to school... we were still so _young_ and _in love_... everything was falling into place. But then... when Ace was just four years old... well..." she started to hesitate, as if the subject was still a delicate one for her.

"He left," Ace finished for her, very matter-of-factly but still with a hint of quiet disdain. Pamela nodded solemnly to verify what her son had said and Lexi felt her heart sink a little. She was aware of the story, but it wasn't one that the leader liked to talk about, so the details were still sketchy for her. As much as he enjoyed sharing stories about growing up with his mother, he usually avoided the topic of his father.

"I was heartbroken," she recalled. "Ace wasn't even old enough to start school yet and suddenly I had to raise him on my own. As much as I wanted to go back to college at the time and get that better paying job, I just couldn't devote myself to such an investment... not when the bills still needed to be paid... and I still needed to be a _mother_. So, I decided to keep my job at the plant, and focus my entire life around my son and my career. After a few years, I started getting paid more at the factory than I ever would have as a nurse, so I guess I just gave up on that dream. The job I had at the time was paying the bills just fine. We weren't well off, but we were managing."

"So what made you change your mind?" Lexi asked, now fully engrossed in her narrative.

Pam laughed lightly as Ace put on a small, empathetic smile. "It wasn't my choice to make. I got hurt on the job and they wouldn't keep me."

"What happened?"

Before she dived into her next story, she pulled up the sleeve on her right arm, revealing a large faded scar that ran on the inside from just under her wrist to her elbow. Lexi couldn't help but cringe a little upon seeing it.

"It happened about six years ago," she explained. "I'll spare you the gritty details, but at the end of one of my shifts, I had cut the power to one of the machines so I could clean and inspect the inside. Apparently, one of the other workers hadn't noticed what I was doing and turned the power back on before I was finished. Long story short, my arm was crushed. I had to spend almost an entire month in the hospital, having multiple surgeries to reattach or repair what could be saved and to remove what couldn't. They had to put a lot of metal rods and braces into my arm as replacement parts and that's where this scar came from. I'd say I have more metal than anything else in that arm now."

"I... I can't imagine..." Lexi managed to respond.

"Aside from the time it took me to recover from the surgery, I was also in for several months of rehab and therapy so that I could get the strength back into my arm. Of course, the doctors ordered that I couldn't operate the machines at the factory while I was still in therapy, so I couldn't work. But by that point, I had risen to such an important position that the company couldn't afford to keep it open for as long as I was going to be gone... so they let me go. For some reason, they wouldn't even offer me an entry-level position when I came back."

"On top o' that," Ace elaborated further, "their health insurance policy was terrible. They were willing ta pay for tha costs of surgery, but that was about it. That left us with thousands o' dollars worth in hospital fees, rehab and training sessions, and otha doctor's visits. So, needless ta say, times were pretty rough fer a while."

"With only a high school diploma," Pam resumed, "there weren't many places that were willing to hire me, and the jobs that were available didn't pay nearly enough. By that point, I figured it was a good a time as ever to go back to school and finish my degree. So, for several months, I stayed at home and took classes online during the day and took up a temporary job as a convenience store clerk at night. I crammed a year's worth of classes into just a few months and became registered as a pediatric nurse. Then, I started using my new salary to start paying off my bills..."

"Fer a while," Ace broke in again, "she even kept up her night shift at tha store while she worked at tha hospital durin' tha day just to bring in some extra money. At tha time, I was old enough ta get a job myself, so I started workin' too and used whateva I got ta help out."

"Wow..." Lexi truly didn't know what to say. Such a hard-luck story made her a little careful to avoid saying anything that might come off as either insensitive or pretentious. "It must've been difficult..." she finally settled on saying.

"Yes, it certainly was..." Pamela finished with a reflective pause as if the events had just happened recently and were still fresh on her mind. "But considering where we are now, I'd say that we made it out okay. I mean, I never would've _dreamed_ that my own son would one day become the leader of a real team of superheroes!"

The newfound sense of content in her voice made her son smile.

"Funny the way things work out sometimes," Lexi responded with a small smile of her own.

"Oh, and before I forget," Ace brought up, digging into his sweatshirt pocket, "I got ya a little somethin'."

"Oh Ace, you didn't have to do that..."

"Of course I did," he assured, ignoring the typical 'mother' response. "What kinda son would I be if I didn't give my motha at least a _little_ somethin' fer her birthday?" As he talked, he pulled out the small black box and motioned it to her. She seemed a little hesitant to take something that seemed so fancy in its presentation, but Ace continued to hold the box before her with a patiently relentless look until she finally gave in and took it from him.

Opening it up, her mouth dropped open in awe."Oh Ace..."

"Happy birthday, mom."

"...you shouldn't have..."

"Well, like I said... I wanted to. You've done a lot fer me ova tha years mom, and I probably wouldn't be here right now if it weren't fer you. So, I figured it was time I got ya somethin' a little special fer a change... ya know, now that I _can._"

His mother didn't readily respond, but gave him a sweet look that probably said more than her actual words could. She had to admit that it felt strange to receive such a gorgeous piece of jewelry from her own son, but she also understood that it probably meant just as much to him for finally being able to give her such a gift as it did for her to receive it. With that in mind, she gladly accepted it.

"So... whaddya think?" Ace asked anxiously, still awaiting a more solid response.

Pamela let out a happy sigh, "It's beautiful..." Closing the box, she leaned in and caught her son in a warm hug. "I love it."

After holding their embrace for a moment or two, Ace threw Lexi a wink over his mom's shoulder, remembering that he had used her as a reference to pick out the gift.

Lexi smiled.

• • •

"It was nice to finally meet you!" Pamela said to her as the three of them stood together, ready to part ways. Their dinner meeting had taken up a good half-hour longer as Ace and Lexi indulged her with stories of their various adventures (and misadventures) on the team. She seemed to be fascinated with how unique their lives were and relished the opportunity to pick their brains.

"Likewise!" Lexi answered cheerfully. "So, are we going to see you later at the Recognition Ceremony?"

"Of course! What kind of mother would I be if I didn't at least stick around for something like that?

"Cool, maybe we'll see you there... and hey, maybe you'll even get to meet the rest of the team!"

Pamela laughed, "That would be wonderful."

"Hey mom," Ace interrupted, "do ya think I could talk ta ya fer a second? Ya know... in private."

His mother's smile straightened a bit, detecting the note of seriousness in his voice. "Of course" she answered.

Ace turned to his second-in-command, "Ya mind givin' us a second, Lex?"

"Oh yeah, yeah..." she was quick to affirm, "take your time. I'll just look at some stuff over here for a minute." She pointed to a nearby souvenir shop and started walking in that direction. Meanwhile, Ace ushered his mom over a few feet in the opposite direction to a slightly more open area.

"You know, Ace," she made sure to say before Ace got into whatever he wanted to talk about, "I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to spend a nice meal with me. It seems like it's been quite a while since we've actually had time to _see_ each other."

"Well, it's tha least I could do."

"So what's on your mind?"

Ace paused for a quick second to decide on the best way of asking her. "You _are_ doing okay... aren't ya, mom?"

"Absolutely," she assured, "I've been doing just wonderfully."

Ace hesitated for another second before leaning in slightly and dropping his voice. "And... err... has _she_... been keepin' up her end o' tha deal?"

Pam finally started to understand what the issue was. "She's been like a _saint_ to me," she clarified. "There's no need to worry, I'm in good hands."

Ace smirked slightly at her. "I guess I just needed ta make sure..."

His mom put a hand on his shoulder, "I understand Ace, but you don't have to worry about me so much anymore. Things are different now... and besides, _I_ should be the one worrying about _you_ now that I know about all of the messes that the six of _you_ get yourselves into." Her voice was firm, but comforting, like a voice that could calm a storm.

Looking into her eyes, Ace could see the degree of her sincerity and it filled him with a warm relief. "I guess things really _have_ changed, huh?"

The two bunnies pulled in for another hug, Pam patting her son's back a few times. "Not as much as you think, Ace... not as much as you think." The leader couldn't help but tighten his embrace ever so slightly, making sure not to let go a second too soon.

"Alright, I guess it's time fer us ta head out," he said after finally deciding to let go.

"I understand. Now, in case I can't find you later, I just want you to know how _incredibly proud_ I am of you... so I want you to stay safe, okay? And make sure and take good care of that team of yours. Especially her..." she looked over at Lexi who was busy looking through a rack of T-shirts. "She seems like a nice girl."

Ace grinned, "Don't ya worry about that. I've got it all unda control!"

His mom chuckled softly, "I'm sure you do."

"Thanks mom, and that goes double fer you, too. Take care of yourself."

"Absolutely."

They gave each other one more quick hug before Ace started walking away. "See ya soon!"

"Bye Ace..."

It had only been a minute, but Lexi had become pretty bored with what the store had on display, so once Ace returned, motioning for the two of them to head out, she gladly complied. Before they had gotten too far, she turned back to Ace's mom behind them and gave her a quick wave goodbye, which she gladly returned.

"You know, boss, your mom's pretty cool," she commented. "I'm glad I finally got to meet her."

"Yeah, I figured tha two o' ya would get along."

"How long has it been since you've seen her?"

"Well, I haven't actually had a chance to _visit_ her for tha past few months, but I try and make sure ta give her a call at least once a week er so... just ta make sure she's doin' okay."

"Awww, you're such a momma's boy," she teased.

"What," Ace asked, uncharacteristically losing his cool for a second, "I am not!"

"It's okay," she responding calmingly, "I actually think it's sweet. You just really care about her, that's all."

Ace quickly calmed himself down, "Well what can I say? She's done a lot fer me..."

A momentary pause of silence pervaded them as curiosity found its way into Lexi's mind. The topic she was thinking of was surely a delicate one and she wondered if it was even a good idea to bring it up. It seemed like a tricky situation, but she decided it would be better to ask him now while they were on a related subject.

"So Ace..." she began cautiously, "can I ask you another personal question?" He looked at her for a moment with a somewhat suspicious gaze. "I mean," she continued, "you've already told me a _little_ bit about it, but I was hoping I could ask you something else..."

Ace was already sure he knew what the question was. "Sure, what is it?"

She paused again. "Do you know... _why_ he left?"

He sighed to himself and lowered his eyes a bit. "I honestly don't even know… I was only four years old at tha time. I just woke up one day and he was gone…"

"Does your mom know what happened?"

He shook his head, "Apparently she was left in tha dark, too. She's told me before that she remembers him seemin' unusually _distant_ and _preoccupied_ fer a while before he left, but she nevah knew what was really on his mind. He nevah talked about it. He didn't even leave her a note goodbye once he was gone. My mom always said she knew that, deep down, he was still a decent guy, and that he must've had his reasons… but I just don't know. Ta be honest, I barely even remembah what my dad _looked_ like…"

They walked in silence for a second, both thoroughly absorbed by the topic, until Ace decided that he would close the matter himself. "But all that's in tha past now. I honestly don't care what his reasons were, if he had any. It was his problem he left, not mine. My mom and I got along just fine without him…"

Lexi looked up at her partner to see that his eyes still looked rather withdrawn. She couldn't help but think of her own parents and how it would've felt if either of them walked out on her. It almost hurt her to see that Ace actually felt that way about his own father, but she couldn't really blame him. In fact, she felt a little guilty for bringing such a heavy subject back into their conversation. Now she was only focused on finding a way to somehow relieve the tension in the air.

In the end, she decided to take a page from Ace's book.

"So…" she said after a moment, "spiders, huh?"

Ace's straight-lined expression broke into something that looked a little more like a smile.

_"That's better."_

• • • • •

Releasing a loud belch, Slam tossed yet another ravaged turkey leg bone into his pile of scraps. He picked up the last leg on his plate – his fifth one so far – and licked his chops eagerly before sinking his teeth in. On any normal day, he could've had all five slabs of meat in his stomach within minutes, but right now he was taking it a little slower since he still had some time to kill before Duck came back from his "volunteer work." The Tasmanian certainly didn't mind since it meant that he could spend even more time treating his palette to the savory flavors of fried, greasy meat.

Of course, it didn't take long for Duck to show up.

Slam was only halfway through his last leg before the mallard walked up to his table, drying off the remaining exposed parts of his body with a towel.

"Can you believe it?" he complained. "A _full hour!_ I was stuck in that stupid tank for the longest sixty minutes of my life! Talk about a waste of talent…"

Slam snickered.

"Don't laugh at me!" he protested defensively. "I wasn't the one sitting on his butt and _gorging_himself while his friend was subjected to perpetual drowning! And if I recall correctly, you threw a good number of pitches yourself, buster!"

As if it was supposed to make everything better, Slam scooted a medium-sized paper traycloser to his teammate. It was filled with a generous serving of chili-cheese fries, one of Duck's personal favorite snack-meals. He could still see the smoky vapors of freshness rising up from the dish.

"For me?" he asked. Slam nodded.

He eyed the dish for another second scrupulously as if it were some kind of trick before he decided to take a seat, pulling in his plate. "You're lucky I'm so hungry, or I'd still be pretty mad…" he reasoned. Slam figured that would work.

As Duck immersed himself into the new meal, Slam picked his bone clean and lazily tossed the last scrap with the others, belching loudly again.

Duck waved his hands in the air in front of his face, "At least turn your mouth away," he admonished. "I'm still eating here!"

"Sawree…"

Duck looked over at the scrap pile sitting next to them, attracting flies. "_Five_ turkey legs?" he asked. Slam nodded. "And let me guess… you're still hungry, aren't you?" Slam nodded again, this time while picking those massive teeth of his.

The mallard sighed, "Well I suppose you've still got time to stuff yourself some more while I'm finishing _my _food. I wonder what else they got around here..."

Just then, the mallard was interrupted by a booming voice. "Come one, come all!"

The two of them exchanged curious looks before the voice sounded again.

"Think ya've got what it takes? Think ya've got, I say, ya think ya've got that _stomach o' steel?_ Well, ladies an' gentlemen, come on down an' throw ya hat in this here competition fa a shot at winnin' our _grand prize! _Just thirty minutes, I say, thirty minutes left ta sign up…"

The commotion was coming from an area a short distance away from them where a good mass of people were gathered. They were huddled in a rough semi-circle in front of what appeared to be a small stage. Behind the group, there were a few sections of free-standing stadium seats assembled, each with a few rows of seats. It was hard to tell what was going on from where the two of them were sitting, but Slam did notice that there were people walking around on the stage already, busy putting covered trays over a long, white table.

"I wonder what _that's_ all about…" Duck thought out loud.

The words "stomach of steel" had grabbed Slam's attention the most, and whatever he smelled, it was delicious. With not much else to do, he got up from the table and found himself heading in that direction.

"Hey, where do you think you're going? I'm not done yet..!" Duck objected.

Slam thought for a second before mumbling something incoherent and continuing to walk away.

"Ha, easy for you to say!" he responded, more to himself than anyone else. It didn't look like his friend was waiting up for him though, so he started shoveling the fries into his mouth as quick as he could manage.

The Tasmanian started picking up more details the closer he got to the stage. In the stands, there were already small groups of people beginning to take their seats, apparently eager for whatever event this was to start. The collection of people that stood before the stage was well-mixed, but he noticed an extra amount of older, more heavy-set men among them. The people were murmuring excitedly as the announcer onstage continued to verbally sell the occasion.

"Anyone out there think they got what it takes ta win it all? I say, ya think ya can wrestle up there with tha big dawgs? Then _step right up_ an' prove yaself a champion!"

His words seemed to be doing a pretty good job of spreading hype, but Slam still didn't feel like he had a good enough idea of what the commotion was about. Once he caught up with the huddle of people, he picked up on a conversation.

"Looks like we've got some pretty tough-looking competition," one guy said.

"Are you kidding? I can take all these fools," another boasted in reply. "I've been training for this contest for two months already. There's no way I'm gonna lose!"

Curiosity piqued even more, he walked up to the first guy and tapped on his shoulder to get his attention. "Skyuuze meeh..." he mumbled.

The man turned to face him, but froze for a second as he realized just who was trying to talk to him. "No way," he exclaimed, "it's really you... Slam Tasmanian! Are you here for the contest?"

"Huuh?"

"What, _Slam's_ competing?" the second guy asked, misconstruing his friend's words. "Oh man, I don't know if I like my odds anymore..."

They had both spoken loudly enough that it led to more and more people talking amongst themselves, spreading the rumor that the largest Loonatic might in fact be trying his hand at whatever competition they were involved in. As the people continued to murmur more and more loudly, the words eventually found their way to the ears of the man on stage.

"Do mah ears deceive me?" he pondered with budding excitement. Scanning the crowd, his gaze came to rest on the wide figure in the back, dressed in a black and purple supersuit. "You there, boy...!" he declared, pointing his finger directly at him.

As if he had instructed them to do so, the people in the crowd parted off to one side, creating a small pathway that ran between the two of them, putting Slam directly in the man's eyesight. "Who mee?" Slam asked once he noticed that all of the attention was suddenly focused on him.

"Yes you," the man verified, "why dontcha make ya way on ovah this way, son. I say, I'd like ta talk with wit' ya for a second."

The Loonatic hesitated a bit before slowly walking up to the edge of the stage. The man looking at him now was quite large, but most of his body mass seemed to be concentrated on his torso, leaving his legs to look rather miniscule by comparison. He was dressed in a striking all-white tuxedo and clutched a bright and expensive-looking red cane - even though it seemed like he was using it more for aesthetic purposes rather than mobility. His face was long and pronounced and the bright red color of his hair and goatee seemed to stand out all the more next to the color of his suit. In fact, it looked like almost everything about this man gave him a large and stand-out appearance... even his voice had an echoing quality all of its own, bathed in a very distinct southern drawl.

Slam had recognized him right away, often having seen him in advertisements on TV or as a guest for many major city events, such as Basherball tournaments. His name was Mr. Leghorn.

Once he reached the stage, the personality knelt down a little and began to speak in a manner that suggested an intention of keeping their conversation one-on-one. If that was the case, his booming voice quickly betrayed him.

"Mistah Tasmanian," he began, "I hear, I say, I've _heard_ that you've got quite tha appetite. Isn't that right, son?"

"Uh-huuh," he replied confidently. Proud of it too...

Mr. Leghorn smiled, "Well, in case ya haven't noticed, I'm puttin' togetha a little contest here... an _eatin' contest_ ta be more specific. How would _you_ feel 'bout puttin' your skills to tha test an' signin' up too?"

Slam mulled on the idea. "Food?" he asked, being most curious about what they would be eating.

"Well ya see," he said while draping one of his arms around the potential new contender and gesturing to the tables behind him, "my assistants here are busy settin' up trays full o' my famous _Chili Gurt_ sandwiches." One of the servers lifted a lid off one of the trays to reveal a neatly arranged, pyramid stack of what looked like slightly sloppier versions of Sloppy Joes.

"Tha goal is ta see how many a those puppies ya can eat in _five_ minutes. Once tha five minutes are up, tha contestant who's eaten tha most sandwiches is declared, I say, _crowned_ the winnah!"

Slam took another long look at the food on the table and instinctively licked his lips.

"Looks like _you're_ a fan a my chili gurt, ain't ya son?" he asked, having taken notice. Slam nodded. "Well, that's all tha more reason why ya should sign yourself up! I mean, whaddya got ta lose?"

The prospect was certainly intriguing, but just as he was about to address another issue of his, Duck broke himself through the crowd of people to offer his say on things. "Dammit Slam, what are you off getting yourself into this time?!"

Mr. Leghorn's attitude actually seemed to perk up even more with his arrival. "Why, if it isn't _anotha_ one a tha Loonatics, comin' ta see me! Your name's _Danger Duck_, ain't it boy?"

"Mr. Leghorn..." Duck began, keeping his tone firm, but lightening up a little, "it's a pleasure to meet you in person." Just like Slam - and for many of the same reasons - Duck was also very familiar of this man. He personally couldn't help but admire such a present and outspoken personality, like his own. "What brings you to the festival... and... what're you and Slam talking about?"

Mr. Leghorn chuckled heartily, "Why, I was just tellin' your little buddy here that I'm holdin' a Chili Gurt sandwich eatin' contest and was hopin' I could get him ta sign up. What about you though, Duck? I say, ya wanna throw _your_ hat inta tha ring?"

Duck looked over to the table at the slop that they were calling sandwiches, and nearly lost his appetite. Chili gurt _could_ be okay... if you didn't think about what you were eating too much. Seeing so much of the goopy, brown meat product in one place certainly didn't seem very appetizing to him...

_Although..._

"That depends. What do I get if I win?" he asked.

Fa starters, ya get ta take home thatfancy-lookin' trophy ova there..." he pointed to a small podium standing at the back of the stage that proudly displayed an oversized silver-and-gold-plated trophy cup, adorned with all kinds of designs, insignias, and stylistic metal adornments. The light even seemed to be hitting it at just the right spot, as any part of the cup that could give off a reflection scattered the light into countless gleams and sparkles. Being the trophy for an amateur eating contest, it was quite extravagant.

"Oooooh, trophyyy..." At the sight of it, Slam knew he wanted it in his room. It was practically calling his name.

Mr. Leghorn snickered with accomplishment, "Looks like I'm winnin' someone ovah already. I say, ya willin' ta give it a shot, Slam?"

Even though he was practically ready to ask where the sign-in sheet was, he stopped when he remembered the issue he had tried to bring up before Duck interrupted them. He tried to express the concern he was having, but since it wasn't something that could be adequately explained in a short blurt of words or gestures, the resulting string of incomprehensible language wasn't well translated.

"Say, Mistah Duck, would you be so kind as ta help me figure out what tha big guy's tryin' ta say?" he asked.

Duck nodded and turned to the Tasmanian, "What's up?"

Slam then proceeded to repeat what he had tried to say before, but this time with a more precise tone and a helpful hand gesture or two. The words themselves weren't any more decipherable, but it all seemed to make sense to Duck. "He says he doesn't know if it's fair for him to join, since he's already got a _festival_ thrown in his honor. I he were to win, he wouldn't want to steal the prize away from somebody else, just like that."

It comforted him to know that his friend was able to understand him. In fact, the team as a whole had actually gotten quite good at making sense of the strange mix of garbled English and primitive Tasmanian tongue that was Slam's language. When he was around his friends, he didn't feel the typical pressure of trying to communicate properly like he would often get with most people.

Mr. Leghorn rubbed his chin, "I guess I can understand that…"

"Are you kidding?" a man spoke out from the crowd. "I would _love_ to have a matchup with you!"

"Yeah!" another person said in agreement. "Now _that's_ what I call a challenge!" Many of the people gathered there started murmuring in agreement with the two of them.

"Reeally?" Slam muttered.

"Of course, man!" a third guy said, stepping forward. "Winning an eating contest is one thing, but if I can say that I won that contest by defeating the legendary stomach of the _Twisted Spinner_ himself… now _that's_ a prize!"

The agreement from the crowd was much louder this time as most of them either cheered or whistled in agreement. Slam couldn't hide that familiar beaming smile of his from seeing all the support.

"I say boy," Mr. Leghorn said contently, "it looks like we've made up ya mind for ya!"

"Now just hold on a second!" Duck objected. "Unless my watch is wrong _Slam_, we've only got a little less than an hour before we have to be somewhere, remember? Besides, it's not even worth it! You'll stuff your face full of that _slop_ – no offense – until your stomach explodes, and for what… some run-of-the-mill trophy? Sounds like a giant waste of time if you ask me. So I for one am getting outta here and finding some _real_ food. Come on, Slam…"

Duck could only march past the edge of the crowd before the man on stage offered one last incentive.

"So I guess you're not interested in our _otha _grand prize…"

Despite his convictions, Duck stopped dead in his tracks and turned his head back suspiciously. "Huh?"

"Why don't ya take a look at what it says on that there _sign_ ovah there…" he said schemingly, pointing to a large white sign that was propped up on the other side of the stage.

It read:

_"4:45pm – Acmetropolis First Annual "Gurt Gut" Competition. Grand prize: a dazzling gold and silver-plated trophy and a "generous" cash award! Sign up now! Tonight's earnings are…"_

Duck's eyes widened and his mouth went dry as he stared at the monetary figure written in marker underneath those words.

_"… $5,000!"_

"Five thousand dollars…" he said weakly.

"That's right, son!" Mr. Leghorn replied proudly, knowing that the mallard had surely been caught. "I was talkin' with tha guys running this here festival and I got them ta let me use 1% of tha total ticket sales as tha prize money fa my little contest. I guess, I say, I _guess_ a lot more people showed up than they were expectin'. Either way, it's all good fa me!" He laughed boisterously at the idea. "So what do ya say now, boy? Ya get, I say, ya gettin' a change o' heart?"

He looked up to see that Duck was no longer in his spot at the edge of the crowd, but had instead raced over to Slam's side with a less-than-coincidental surge of enthusiasm. He was talking unusually fast.

"You know on second thought , I heard that chili gurt stuff is chock-full of… manly… goodness… and that's something you could always have more of, right big guy? Of course I'm right, and I guess we do still have some time to kill before the ceremony starts so why don't we go ahead and give this little game a shot, huh? It'll be fun, don't you think so?"

Duck's energy caught the Tasmanian off-guard.

"So does that mean I can count tha two o' ya in?" Mr. Leghorn asked.

"Oh no, not me," Duck made sure to specify, "there's no way I could win against a guy like Slam, but _Slam's_ a guy like Slam, so I'm pretty sure that he could easily mop the floor with the rest of these guys and make me – I mean, _us_ – rich! Isn't that right, Slam?"

"Uh-huuhh!" Slam answered, deciding not to read too much into Duck's motives since it meant that he could participate.

"Alright then!" the man said, raising his voice. He may not have gotten both of them, but he was perfectly satisfied with the one he was getting. He turned to his servants onstage, "Let's see if we can get this guy some entry forms!"

• • • • •

"Hey look over there," Lexi pointed out, "It's Tech and Rev!"

After devoting some time to the various festivities, Ace and Lexi had only just decided to change back into their uniforms and were now en route to the Central Plaza, hoping to arrive there with plenty of time left before the Recognition Ceremony began.

Both of them turned their full attentions to where Lexi was pointing to see the two teammates coming towards them at a slow jog. Ace took notice that, for whatever reason, Rev wasn't the one eagerly leading the way like he usually would. It almost seemed like the roadrunner was intentionally trying to hold himself back… and maybe it was just his imagination, but it looked like his stride was a little… inhibited.

"Well well, look who we ran into…" Tech began once they had caught up.

"Hey-Ace-hey-Lexi-have-you-guys-been-enjoying-this-place-as-much-as-we-have-because-I-just-have-to-say-that-this-place-is-_awesome!_"

"We sure have, Rev!" Lexi answered with a smile.

"So what've you guys been up to?" Ace asked. Hearing the eagerness and overall normalcy in Rev's demeanor was enough for him to put aside his concerns for now.

"Not much really," Tech answered. "After setting up the Loona-Loop, we grabbed a little something to eat and just started… exploring, I guess."

"Ya didn't run inta any problems with tha delivery, did ya?"

"Well, we _did_ have an issue with the battery, but we fixed it up pretty quick. It was lucky that Rev was with me… otherwise, I might still be over there trying to fix everything."

"Is that right?"

"You-shoulda-seen-it-Ace-first-the-wheel-got-all-_big_-but-then-it-wouldn't-turn-on-because-the-battery-was-all-dead-and-stuff-so-we-asked-for-a-bike-and-then-we-did-all-this-stuff-to-it-and-then-I-started-running-really-fast-and-it-didn't-do-anything-so-then-I-ran-even-_faster_-and-then-it-_did_-do-something-but-it-still-wasn't-very-fast-so-then-I-started-running-even-_faster_-and-finally-the-battery-started-charging-really-fast-and-then-the-battery-was-all-charged-up-so-Tech-put-it-in-the-ride-and-it-finally-turned-on-and-everyone-was-happy-and-I-was-really-really-tired-but-then-I-got-some-rest-and-now-I-feel-fine!"

Lexi gave Tech an amused sort of look.

"He's been eating," he explained.

Undeterred by the massive wall of words, Ace went up and good-naturedly tussled the feathers on the runner's head, as he would do from time to time. "Nice woik there, Rev."

Rev kept his smile as he smoothed out his crest. "So-have-you-guys-done-anything-special?"

"Nothing much for us either," Lexi replied. "We met up with someone for lunch and then we just started looking around. Ridin' a few rides... playin' a few games... hittin' a few shops... you know, just seeing what this place has to offer." She decided not to be any more specific about _who_ they had met for lunch, since she wasn't sure if that was something Ace wanted to get into. If he felt the need to address it in anyway, he could do it himself.

"Oh-yeah-that-reminds-me," Rev spoke up as he pulled something out of his pocket. "Check-out-this-cool-thing-I-found!"

Opening up his hand, he proudly displayed a small figurine connected to a small keychain that was a remarkable likeness of the roadrunner himself. Other than the fact that its head and facial features were a little bit larger than what was proportional, it looked almost exactly like a smaller version of Rev.

"Oh my gosh," Lexi squealed, eyes brightening, "that's so adorable!" With him offering, Lexi snatched the mini-Rev out of his hands and looked it over preciously. "Where'd you find this?"

"We ran into a shop a while ago that had _all kinds_ of stuff with all of our faces on it," Tech answered. "The owners of the booth pretty much went nuts when we walked in and gave us a set of them as a gift. So, I've got one too..." He pulled a mini-Tech figurine out of his own pocket and showed it off with a grin.

"That's so cool!" Lexi exclaimed, handing the Rev figurine back to its original owner.

"They-had-one-for-all-six-of-us-so-we-got-some-for-you-guys-too" Reaching into his pocket again, he pulled out two more figurines, one of Ace and the other of Lexi, and handed them over.

"Oh wow..." Lexi muttered as she gleefully looked over her plastic caricature. "This is _so_ going on my hip!" Using the keychain, she hooked the mini-Lexi through one of the loops on her belt.

"The details on these things are amazin'..." Ace said as he inspected his own likeness. He was probably somewhat less flattered by them than his teammates were, but he could still appreciate such amazing handiwork. "They must've been pretty big fans."

"We also got some for Duck and Slam too," Tech mentioned. "Speaking of which, you haven't seen them around, have you?"

"Sure haven't," the leader replied.

"They-said-they-were-coming-here-to-the-Food-Court-but-we've-been-around-here-for-a-while-now-and-haven't-been-able-to-find-them-anywhere-either-so-that-probably-means-they're-long-gone-by-now."

"I can only imagine what the two of them _together_ might be getting themselves into right now..." Lexi wondered aloud.

"Eh, I'm sure we'll run inta 'em soona o' later..." Ace said before he was distracted by a distant commotion.

"Step right up, ladies an' gentlemen," the voice echoed, "and lay witness ta the first annual _Gurt Gut_ competition! Show starts in five, I say, just _five_ more minutes!"

"What's that all about?" Lexi asked, noticing the bunny's diverted attention.

"I think it's some kind of eating contest," Tech informed. "I've been seeing posters for it all over the place."

The voice continued to proudly announce the event. "Sixteen, count 'em _sixteen_ titans in all, ready ta duke it out fa tha _grand prize!_ Who has what it takes ta become tha champion?!"

"Hey, whaddya say we take in a little show real quick before tha ceremony starts?" Ace asked his companions after finding himself drawn in by the theatrics.

"Are you sure we have time, chief?" Tech asked. "I thought we only had twenty minutes before the it started."

"Actually," Ace corrected, "since tha fan session lasted so long, they decided ta push tha ceremony back ta 5:30. I didn't say anythin' 'cause I still wanted ta make sure ya guys showed up on time."

"I was wondering why we weren't in such a hurry..." Lexi realized.

"So whaddya think now? I'm kinda curious ta check this out myself..."

"I'm-game!" Rev quickly answered.

"Well..." Tech began rationalizing, "I suppose that since we'd be putting ourselves into an area with lots of people, _and_ we'd be staying in one place the entire time... we _could_ be much more likely to find Duck and Slam than if we just wandered around aimlessly..."

"Why not?" Lexi said, freely giving in. "It's not like we've got anything better to do."

"Exactly my point," Ace agreed. "Now let's see if we can grab some seats."

• • •

"Alright Slam ol' buddy," Duck began supportively while rubbing the Tasmanian's shoulders, "if anyone can win this contest, it's you. Just remember, there's a whole _wad of cash_ waiting for you as long as you stuff yourself more than anyone else!"

"Trophy…?" Slam reminded him.

"Yeah, that too… but don't forget about the money."

All of the contest competitors were gathered together behind the back wall of the stage as the spectators took their seats in the stands out front. While most everyone else was finding a way to mingle amongst each other, Slam found himself an empty chair to sit down in while his teammate was giving him "crucial, last-minute advice."

"Alright, pop quiz…" Duck coached, "what do you do if you come across a rotten sandwich?"

"Dah."

"That's right, you keep eating! Now what do you do if you start feeling full?"

"Dah."

"Attaboy, you keep eating! Now, what do you do if one of the other competitors falls off the stage and busts his head open?"

"…uh…"

"Come on, you know this one…"

"…dah?"

"Exactly, you _keep eating!_ Now what do you do if a _giant bomb_ goes off in the middle of the contest and blows the entire stage and everyone around to _smithereens?_"

Slam didn't answer.

"You _damn well_ better keep eating, that's what you do!"

The Tasmanian looked at him curiously, suddenly becoming very concerned.

"Look," Duck began explaining, "what I'm trying to say is that I don't wanna see you giving up on me. Obviously, the deaths of hundreds of innocent people would be a _bad_ thing, but you get the point. No stopping or letting up no matter what, got it? This contest is too much of a sure thing for you to just _throw away_ first place."

"Uh-huuh!" That was something he could agree to.

"That's the spirit! Keep up that attitude and you'll end up making me – er, I mean _us_ – very happy, rich people…"

Slam rolled his eyes. _Of course_ that's what Duck was most worried about. To be honest, the devil cared more about the trophy and the title that came with it than he did about the money. Sure, it was a nice bonus, but it really wasn't his main concern.

"Anyway, I'm gonna see if I can find something to drink. That lady over there is handing out some free water bottles, so I'll see if I can grab one. You thirsty?"

He thought it over for a second before nodding his head.

"Well that's _too bad_, because drinking water before eating spoils your appetite! Nevertheless, I don't want you going out there with a dry mouth or anything. I'll see if they have any little cups I can borrow…"

_"At least he offered me something…"_ Slam thought to himself as the mallard walked away. Without his "coaching" to distract him, his attention started focusing on the people around him – his competition. Looking around, a good number of them seemed like the types who _could_ actually present him with a challenge. Looking like they could guzzle down a full day's worth of food in one sitting, some of them even bragged about how skipping a certain number of meals was going to give them an edge. Slam had only stopped eating a few moments ago.

But even amongst the titans that seemed to be grabbing the most attention, there was one individual who caught his gaze more than anyone else.

The kid couldn't have been any older than twelve or thirteen years at most. He was a fairly skinny-looking kid with tanned skin and a head of messy black hair. At the moment, he was being led through the backstage area - barely within earshot - by an apparent friend of his, a fox anthro who was roughly his same size with a rusty-red fur color.

"I don't know about this, Marcus..." the kid said.

"What?" the fox questioned, "I thought you said you _wanted_ to give this contest a shot."

"Yeah, I _did_... but some of these guys look like they're taking this thing pretty seriously."

"Ricky, it's an _eating contest_ at a _city carnival_. I don't think you have to worry about it getting too serious."

"You're probably right... but -"

"Listen dude," the fox reasoned as he brought them to a stop, "I know some of these guys look pretty... _heavy_, but I think I can honestly say that I've never seen a guy as skinny as you _eat_ as much as you do."

"You're not just saying that, are you?" Ricky answered cautiously.

"Of course not! If I was, why would I have pushed you to actually sign your name up? Seriously, if you eat _half_ as much here as you do when you stay the night at my house, these guys don't stand a chance."

Ricky only responded with a smile.

Just then, a third individual - about their same age, but taller and with straight brown hair - came running up to the two of them with a set of papers in his hand. They looked like registration forms.

"Guys, guys," he began with an obvious urgency, "did you see how big the cash prize is?"

Ricky thought about it, "I knew there _was _one, but I didn't see how much it was."

"What is it, like $50?" Marcus asked dismissively. "Maybe $100?"

"Try _$5,000!_"

Both of their jaws dropped in unison. "Seriously?" they both asked.

"Yeah, they have a sign up front. First prize gets the trophy _and_ five grand!"

"Ricky..." Marcus said excitedly while turning to his friend, "do you know how much _useless crap_ you can buy with that kind of cash? I mean, that is serious videogame money!"

"Wow..."

"Videogames, Marcus?" the third friend broke in condescendingly. "Talk about a waste! If _I_ had that kind of money, I'd buy the best, most awesome pair of basketball shoes in the world! Custom color, custom material, top designer brand... you name it!"

"For your information, _Kyle_," Marcus answered in reply, "videogames happen to be a very good investment. With that kind of money, you could buy _all_ of the major game consoles _and_ a small library of games for each of them! Besides, what good is blowing it all on _one_ pair of shoes when you're just gonna wear them out anyway?"

"Well, it wouldn't waste _all_ the money, just a lot of it," Kyle insisted. "Besides, you could easily just go for a few good designer pairs and _still_ have enough left over for a whole closet full of other stuff to wear!" After putting up his rebuttal, Kyle turned to his more quiet friend for some fresh input. "What do you think, Ricky? Which one of us is right?"

"Yeah," Marcus pursued, "what would _you_ do with $5,000?"

The kid reflected on his thoughts for a moment. "Well, both of those things sound pretty cool," he admitted, "but honestly... I'd probably just give the money to my parents."

His friends stared at him blankly.

"Guys," he explained further, "do you know how many rent payments that could cover for us? My family would be good for _at least_ a few months..."

They didn't say anything in reply, but their expressions dropped considerably. By comparison, their ideas seemed outright childish.

"So..." Kyle began to ask, "did your dad ever get that job he interviewed for?"

Ricky shook his head, "Apparently, they decided to go with someone who had more experience. So it's pretty much back to square one again..."

"He's been at square one for a while now, hasn't he?" Marcus noted.

"Yeah..." the kid agreed glumly before perking himself up. "Well, that settles it!" He snatched the papers from Kyle's grip. "First place is as good as mine!"

"That's the spirit!" Marcus praised, relieved to see his friend finally convince himself.

"And hey, even if I don't win, at least I can say I tried, right?"

"True, true..." Kyle said, "but you better actually win, okay?"

Ricky laughed, "You just want a cut of the prize money, don't you?"

And that was the last that Slam heard of their conversation before his teammate returned.

"Here," he said, "they didn't have any cups, so I just poured out most of one of the regular bottles."

Duck held out the emptied container in front of Slam's gaze and snapped the Tasmanian out of his thoughts. Realizing what he was being given, he gave Duck an odd look.

"What?" he defended. "It's enough to wet your mouth, but not enough to spoil your appetite. I'm only thinking of you, here."

Slam shrugged and downed most of the bottle's contents in one gulp. Looking back at the group, he saw that the kid named Ricky had just finished filling out his papers and the three of them were beginning to walk away, probably to turn them in. He wasn't quite sure why, but the contest he was entered in suddenly didn't seem so straight-forward anymore.

He figured it best not to think about it too much.

•

"'Scuse me... pardon me, sir..." Ace said as he crossed through a small group of people to join his teammates in the stands. They had found a good open area near the top where they could watch the contest, and the leader had just returned with a few snack requests in tow.

"Alright, tha soda's mine..." he said, putting the drink down in his spot. "I've got two popcorns..."

"One of them's mine!" Lexi spoke up, taking the first snack.

"Over-here!" Rev said, claiming the other one.

"And this cotton candy's yers too, ain't it?"

"Yeah!"

Just as Ace was in the process of handing over the treat, Tech - who was sitting in between - snatched it away.

"Rev, I don't think you need any more sugar right now," he judged.

"Aww-why-not?"

"Because you've been doing nothing _but_ eating since we left The Circuit, and most of it's been nothing but junk food. I think all that extra sugar is starting to make you a little jittery."

"Jittery? What're-you-talking-about-jittery-I'm-not-jittery-I'm-probably-the-least-jittery-person-in-this-entire-place-so-I-think-if-anyone's-jittery-it-must-be-you-'cause-it-certainly-isn't-me!"

Tech turned to Ace, "See what I mean? He's talking so fast that even _I_ can't understand him, and that's saying something. You didn't understand him either, did you?"

"Well, I picked out _some_ o' tha woids..."

"Point proven. I think we should handle this now before it gets out of hand later."

"Hey!" Rev objected.

"Eh, just let 'em have it, Tech. What's one more snack gonna hoit?"

Tech was still inwardly objected, but he decided his cause wasn't worth arguing for. "Fine... but if he starts bouncing off the walls at the ceremony later, I'm blaming you."

Somewhat reluctantly, he handed the candy back to the roadrunner sitting beside him who snatched it up happily, while sticking out his tongue at the coyote.

"So what's tha woid, Lex?" Ace asked the bunny as he took his seat.

While he was gone, she had been tuning her ears into the various conversations around her, hoping to find better information on the event they were waiting in the stands for.

"From what I've picked up so far," she summarized, "this is apparently some kind of promotional contest for Leghorn Industries. It's an eating contest where participants try to see who can eat the most _'chili gurt sandwiches'_ before time runs out. The winner gets a trophy and _$5,000 cash._"

Ace whistled impressively, "That's _some_ prize..."

Tech scoffed, "Yeah, but that chili gurt is such _slop_. You couldn't pay me enough to eat that stuff."

"True," Ace agreed, "but I bet five grand is enough fa most people..."

"Guys," Rev interjected with a mouthful of sugar, "it's-starting!"

A few of the stage lights turned on as the attention-commanding Mr. Leghorn walked up to a microphone stand on the front part of the stage.

"Ladies, I say, ladies an' gentlemen..." he announced. "I'd like ta thank all y'all fa comin' out taday. Now, since I'm sure that most o' ya know who _I_ am an' what this here contest is all about, I'll go ahead an' skip tha introductions fa now. So are y'all ready ta see just _who's_ got what it takes ta go home a champion?"

The crowd roared in approval.

"Alright then! Now why don't we bring our contestants out here onstage? Y'all give 'em a big round of applause!"

As the spectators continued to cheer, the participants filed onto the stage one by one from either side, taking a seat at a long white table. One contestant in particular, the last one entering on the right, caught the Loonatics' attention.

"Wait a minute," Tech spoke up as he pointed him out, giving voice to what his teammates were already thinking, "that's Slam!"

"Well, whaddya know," Ace commented, "guess we don't have ta go lookin' fer those two after all. Who'd a thunk it?"

"Oh come on," Lexi interjected, "are any of you guys _actually surprised_ to see Slam up there?"

Rev raised his hand, "I-am-a-little-bit."

Lexi smirked, "no you're not."

"Yeah-you're-right-I'm-not..."

•

"Y'all give 'em a big round of applause..." Slam heard from the announcer onstage.

He was standing off to the stage's right side, waiting at the back of a line of other competitors. At Mr. Leghorn's signal, the line of competitors slowly filed onto the stage one by one and Duck used this time to sneak in a last word to his teammate.

"Okay, this is it, buddy. Just keep your eyes on the money and you'll do fine."

"Uhhnn!" he grunted in reply.

"Now get out there and show 'em what you're made of!" With one final shove, he pushed his partner out into the spotlight. Emerging into the spectator's view, Slam heard the noise level practically double at the sight of such a familiar icon at their quaint little showing. Slam smiled shyly with a small wave as he moved to his seat.

Coming out of their lines, each of the contestants seated themselves at the long white table, starting from the outside and moving in. Since Slam was the eighth and final one in his line, that placed him at the very center of the table, sitting next to the last person in the other line. Once he found out who that was, his stomach dropped a little.

It was Ricky, the kid from earlier.

_"Great…"_ he thought to himself. How was he supposed to get this kid and his little predicament out of his mind when he was sitting right next to him? He started to wonder how rude it might seem if he asked to switch spots with someone.

Sure enough, once the Tasmanian had taken his seat, the kid seemed to glow with the realization of _who_ happened to be sitting next to him.

"No way… is that really you? Slam Tasmanian, the Loonatic?" he asked hopefully.

Slam was a bit nervous about engaging the boy, but he could never be rude to a fan. "Mm-hmm!" he answered with a smile.

"Oh that's so cool!" he fawned. "I've always wanted to meet you! My name's Ricky," he introduced while sticking out his hand politely for a handshake.

"Naashkabigyuu!" he said incoherently while returning the gesture. Ricky took it to probably mean something along the lines of "nice to meet you."

"I had no idea you were in this contest, too. It sure is gonna be a lot harder to win with you in the mix now. I'll bet stuff like this comes pretty easy for you, huh?"

Slam rubbed the back of his neck and babbled something unimportant.

"Don't you underestimate me though," he continued with a laugh. "I know I'm a lot skinnier than you, but I can eat quite a bit when I really want to…"

Slam chuckled.

"But to be honest, I don't think I'd mind losing to _you_. Sure, I might be a little disappointed if it were anyone else… but I don't think there'd be any shame in coming second to you. You seem pretty cool."

Slam managed a smile, but it was a little half-hearted. Ricky didn't seem to notice.

"But I'm still gonna try to win, okay?" he finished. "So watch out!"

Slam gave him another polite chuckle, but couldn't bring himself to respond any deeper. Why was he given the misfortune of sitting next to this kid? It seemed like the more he heard him talk, the more he actually liked him, and the more he began to fear the possibility of taking first prize away from him. Sure, Duck really seemed to want that money, and _he _really wanted that trophy. Plus, he did have a kind of reputation for his ravenous eating abilities. But even then, these reasons didn't seem to carry the same weight they had just moments before. The Tasmanian could only had a instant to think about these things before Mr. Leghorn reassumed the microphone to start the event.

"Pretty good lookin' group if I do say so mahself," he boasted. "So tha rules here are simple. Each of these fine young men… err… _and_ women… have five minutes ta eat as much, I say, as many of these sandwiches - filled with mah famously delicious _chili gurt - _ as they possibly can!"

At the mention of the food, a servant appeared behind each of them and uncovered the silver platters that sat on the table, revealing the sandwiches, each decorated with a colorful toothpick. They also put a large glass of water and small ceramic plate beside each of the contestants.

"Thabbathis?" Slam questioned about the plate. He had assumed this was a more hand-exclusive contest.

"It's for your toothpicks," his servant explained. "That's how we'll count up how much you've eaten."

"Now," Mr. Leghorn continued, "whoevah can eat tha most o' these sandwiches before time runs out will be crowned _King Gurt Gut_ an' walk away with not only our _fabulous_ trophy, but also _five thousand dollars!"_

The crowd once again erupted with excited applause. Though Slam failed to notice it himself, his teammates made sure to cheer extra strongly in support of him.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road! Jenkins, start tha timer!" The order to one of his technical assistants prompted a large electronic display clock positioned above the stage to put up the starting five-minute mark.

"Good luck, Slam!" Ricky made sure to say before they started.

"Youu tooo…" Slam returned happily enough, though his mind was still immersed in conflict.

"Now, when I say go," Mr. Leghorn prompted, "ya'll can start eatin'! Good luck ta all o' y'all! Tha contest begins in three… two… one… go, I say, GO!"

At the start signal, each of the contestants immediately reached for a sandwich and started stuffing themselves. Everyone onstage, Ricky included, ravenously immersed themselves into their food in hopes of outpacing their opponents. All of them, that was, except Slam. Sure, he appeared to be eating quickly enough to keep up with his competitors, but anyone that had ever seen the Tasmanian purposely shovel down food before, knew that he wasn't fully committing himself to this.

It wasn't a very conscious decision, but when Slam had taken his first bite, he had decided to hold himself back a little. Was he trying to throw the competition so that Ricky could win? Was he still intent on winning, but also trying to keep from finishing with too much of a lead? Was this some sort of dastardly scheme where he would trick his opponents into slowing down before he would coincidentally pick up his speed at the end to claim victory? To be honest, he didn't really know. But whatever his motives were, he must've felt the need to at least start at a slower pace, giving him more of a chance to see how he stacked upagainst the others and better weigh his options.

After a minute had passed, Slam placed his fourth toothpick onto the plate beside him and hungrily began on a fifth sandwich. After a few quick bites, he decided to take a second and survey the people around him. To one side, he saw that he was ahead of most of the other people by at least a toothpick or two. There was only about one or two that seemed to be keeping up with him.

But then he looked at Ricky's plate.

His eyes widened at seeing that the kid had a total of _six_ toothpicks on his plate so far and was already halfway through his seventh. He even did a double take to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. His confidence aside, he didn't honestly think that this kid would provide him with some _real _competition, but the proof was right in front of him. His face hardened into a determined scowl as he shoveled bite after bite into his mouth, not once looking up from the table. He didn't even notice that the Loonatic sitting next to him had spent the last few seconds starting at him, stricken with awe.

Slam looked back down at his plate. As much as the idea of _beating_ Ricky bothered him, he had to admit that the idea of being so easily beaten seemed to bother him even more. The idea was enough for the Tasmanian to bring out his inner, more competitive nature. Now he had a new objective, and whether or not he actually came out as the winner was irrelevant. All he cared about now was keeping up, and that meant he couldn't hold back any longer. It was time to show this kid what he was made of.

With a renewed sense of purpose and drive, Slam picked up two sandwiches at once and began eating them simultaneously. It only took him a second to realize that this didn't cut as many seconds as he would've liked, but he didn't care. His only thought was to move as many of those sandwiches off of the tray and into his stomach. Quickening his pace, he started doing whatever he could to catch up to his young, new rival.

The minutes crawled on by as all the competitors onstage continued to scarf down their entrées in heated competition. The longer it all kept up, the slower most of them seemed to go. Almost everyone had seemed to have slowed down, at least to some degree. Some of them were even starting to struggle with keeping what they had managed to swallow from coming back up. Still, they all continued on in hopes that they could at least _outlast_ their opponents.

But, it was becoming increasingly more obvious that this was turning into a two-man contest, as the two individuals seated in the center of the table had far outperformed anyone else up to that point. Both Slam and Ricky had actually managed to double the numbers of some of their slower competitors, and their closest competition was still a good minute's worth of food behind them. Whether the two of them were even aware of the lead they were carrying was up for question, since it seemed like they were both too preoccupied with their pacing to be thinking much of anything.

He wasn't keeping track of any actual numbers, but Slam guessed that the two of them had to be neck and neck. He had caught up to his eating speed nicely, and at most, Ricky could only be a sandwich or two ahead. The Tasmanian had practically shut off any form of inhibitory response coming from his brain to focus only on eating as much as he possibly could. As time dragged on, he started becoming painfully aware of how full he was getting. This many sandwiches after all that carnival food was finally putting him at his limit. Nevertheless, he pushed onward with an unstoppable drive fueled by the heat of competition. He only had to last a little while longer…

As the final minute approached its completion, Mr. Leghorn went back up to his microphone stand in narration of the closing seconds.

"Alright everyone, help me give these brave young fightas a final countdown," he directed, prompting the crowd to voice along with him. _"Ten… nine… eight…"_

A poor young man at one end of the table snatched a plastic bag from a servant nearby and vomited into it.

_"Seven… six… five…"_

Another contestant on Slam's right side fell face-first into his tray of sandwiches.

_"Four… three… two… one… TIMES UP, I SAY, TIMES UP!"_

With the announcer's call, the man who was the closest behind the two dominating players threw down a half-eaten sandwich in frustration. Both Ricky and Slam fell backwards into their seats, dropping whatever they hadn't finished, both incredibly relieved at not having to take another bite. Both of their plates displayed a large mound of messy toothpicks, making it nearly impossible to tell who had won just by looking.

"Seems ta me that _these_ two fine young gentlemen here, clearly came out on top! Now, let's see if we can get a head count goin' ta see who tha winnah is!"

The crowd applauded generously as their plates each went to a group of servants for counting. After double-checking their own numbers, the two groups consulted each other and then discreetly relayed the final tallies to Mr. Leghorn.

With a smile, he walked to the other side of the table and stood between the two possible victors.

"Ladies an' gentlemen… it looks like we've come to a decision," he started with a pause. "By a margin of only two, count 'em, _two_ sandwiches… the winnah… taking home five thousand dollars and the first ever title of _King Gurt Gut_… is…"

He proudly raised the devil's arm up into the air.

_"… Mistah Slam Tasmanian!"_

Slam stared blankly into space for a second before the vivid applause pulled him back into reality. He had won! A wonderful feeling of triumph and payoff washed its way over him almost like the cheap confetti that was falling from above the stage.

One of the servants approached him carrying the shining silver and gold trophy cup which Slam was more than glad to take off his hands. He was stricken with awe at the fact that it was finally his. It looked even more incredible in his hands than it did on the podium.

But of course, that wasn't his only prize. He could only admire the trophy for a moment before another pair of servants walked up, proudly carrying an oversized novelty check marked for $5,000. His sense of amazement lingered as strongly as ever as he placed a hand on the check and smiled, posing for a quick picture. He couldn't believe it, he had actually won five thousand dollars! What was he going to do with…

_"Oh crap…!"_

The realization hit him like a brick wall, effectively dampening his spirits.

Ricky…

He hesitantly turned his gaze over at him, expecting the worst, but was surprised to see him looking quite content. He was looking directly at the Loonatic, eyes filled with a still proud, yet truly humbled expression. He was wearing a small smile and was clapping in calm reverence of the contest winner. The kid _did_ say that he wouldn't feel shame in losing, if it was Slam who had beaten him.

But sure enough, what should've made the beast feel better only ended up laying another layer of guilt over him. Holding the check now, he couldn't help but feel a little selfish. It didn't make any sense to him. The other contestants were the ones who encouraged him to join in the first place, he had won fair and square, and his toughest opponent was even being gracious in his defeat. By all accounts, he shouldn't have any reason for feeling guilty. This was supposed to be a proud moment for him…

But he realized that wasn't what the issue was.

It was amazing how decisive he had suddenly become now, considering how unsure he had been when the contest started. While the crowd continued to shower him with recognition, Slam was hard at work with putting a plan together in his head… one that he was sure would make everything right.

• • •

"Well… here comes _King Gurt Gut_ now…" Ace prompted jokingly as his largest teammate finally joined back up with the rest of his team.

The contest itself had just ended about ten minutes ago, and the five Loonatics (having already met up with Duck) were waiting in a huddle outside the stage for Slam to come back. The big guy had to stay back an extra minute or two to meet with Mr. Leghorn and his corporate team to get his prizes situated.

Being addressed with his newly earned moniker, he chuckled a little, partly out of embarrassment.

"Great job Slam," Lexi congratulated. "I _would_ say that's the most I've ever seen you eat… but I think we both know that's probably a lie." Slam grinned at her.

"Wow-Slam-I-gotta-tell-ya-that-was-the-most-amazing-thing-I've-ever-_seen_-you-and-that-kid-were-like-neck-and-neck-pretty-much-the-entire-time-and-you-guys-really-had-me-on-the-edge-of-my-seat-'cause-honestly-for-a-moment-or-two-I-was-starting-to-think-that-maybe-you-wouldn't-be-able-to-pull-it-off-but-you-just-kept-right-on-going-and-you-really-_did_-pull-it-off-even-though-it-would-have-probably-been-_really_-easy-for-you-to-just-give-up-and-call-it-quits-because-I-know-I-probably-would-have-if-I-was-in-that-situation-but-then-again-it-helps-that-you-actually-_like_-chili-gurt-and-I-can't-stand-the-stuff-so-I-guess-it's-not-really-a-good-comparison-but-then-again—"

In one swift motion, Tech clamped the roadrunner's beak shut to keep him from talking himself in circles. His talking speed now was even faster than usual and his phrases even more dysfunctional. Techsighed, he knew he shouldn't have let Rev eat that cotton candy…

"Rev," he began calmingly, "why don't you do us all a favor… and eat _this._" He pulled out a large celery stick and held it out in front of him, hoping that the healthier snack might help offset his friend's overflow of sugar-induced energy.

"YAY-CELERY!" he chirped before snatching the vegetable away and nibbling at it furiously.

"Anyway," Tech went on, "good job, Slam. You certainly know how to put on a good show…" Rev nodded in agreement and Slam smiled at the both of them.

Duck approached him next. "Yes, yes, very well done Slam," he started rather formally. "You made us all proud, I knew you could do it, etcetera etcetera and so on… _now_, if you don't mind, I'd like to take a look at…"

The mallard didn't have to finish for Slam to know exactly what he was talking about. He held out his hand, clutching a white envelope, and gestured it to him.

"Woohoo!" Duck cheered as he snatched the envelope up, knowing full well what was inside. "Oh Slam, it looks like that bottomless pit of yours is finally paying off! I'm rich, I tell ya, _rich!"_ He kissed the envelope a few times.

"You do know that money belongs to Slam, right?" Lexi bleakly reminded him. "I didn't see you up there eating any chili gurt. Why should _you_ get anything?"

"For your information, Lexi, I _happen_ to be his coach. Since it was all thanks to my _amazing_ coaching that Slam even got this money in the first place, I'd say that means _most_ of it belongs to me..."

"Oh please, Duck," Tech condescended, "what would you even _do_ with five thousand dollars?"

"Oh that's the beauty of it, my friend," Duck proudly defended, "there's no limit to the stuff I could get with a _stash_ like this. I could buy a brand new wall-to-wall size hologram screen for my room... _or_, I could hire someone to sculpt a life-size statue of me that we can put in the living room... you know I've always said we could use one... _or_ I could..."

As Duck continued to read off whatever idea popped into his head, Slam's attention was quickly diverted when he saw the familiar group of three younger boys walking by.

"You did good, Ricky," he heard Kyle say, "really you did. Thirty sandwiches is _insane..."_

"Yeah, even I didn't expect you to eat that much," Marcus agreed.

"Thanks guys," Ricky answered, "but let's just focus on finding a place where I can sit down for a bit. I feel like my stomach is gonna explode."

"Man," Marcus started to complain, "why couldn't they have had a prize for second place? You were too good not to walk away with _something..."_

"Aww, it's okay," Ricky concluded. "I don't really need anything..."

As he watched them walk away, Slam knew that now was the time he had to act on his decision. It was now or never.

"Duck," Tech critiqued in response to whatever else the mallard had proposed, "I don't think five thousand dollars is enough for something like _that_."

"Well then I could always just -"

_"Yoink!"_ Slam sounded as he snatched the envelope from his friend's vulnerable grasp and started to walk away.

"Hey," Duck cried after him, "what's the big idea? Where are you going with my money?"

Lexi glared daggers at him.

"I mean... _our_ money..."

But Slam didn't acknowledge him. As his teammates looked on, the big guy walked up to the three kids without hesitation. They all seemed surprised to see him, but only Ricky's seemed to be the welcoming kind.

"Oh hey, Slam!"

"Hiii!"

"Man, that was some contest, huh?" I'm so full I can barely move..."

Slam gave a soft chuckle in agreement as he rubbed his stomach.

"Oh, and congratulations by the way! If anyone deserved to win that contest, it was you."

"So _Slam_," Marcus began with a suppressed bitterness, "what are _you_ gonna do with $5,000?"

Ricky sensed the implication in his words and lightly punched him in the arm.

"What? I was just asking."

Ignoring the fox's comment, Slam took a second to reflect on his next move. Once he was sure that this was indeed what he wanted to do, he held the envelope out to him. "Here."

"Huh? For me?" Ricky repeated, not expecting any sort of gift. Slam nodded, prompting the boy to take the envelope from him, not knowing what was inside. He and his friends looked at the gift intently as he opened the envelope and pulled out a pristine-looking check. The amount was for $5,000.

And it had been made out to Ricky.

"No way..." Kyle muttered.

"That's the..." Marcus started, but failed to finish.

"Slam..." Ricky's disbelief put him at a loss for words, "you... you... didn't..."

Slam only smiled with a nod.

"B-but... Slam... _you_ earned this."

Slam shook his head, "Noo... _you_ diid."

Ricky's eyes widened even more, "I... I appreciate this and all, but... I can't accept this. You won this fair and square. So _here_..."

Ricky gestured the envelope back to him, but Slam quickly pushed his hands back. "Nu-uhh... me _trophy_... you _money_... 'kaay?"

Ricky paused for a second as he absorbed what he was being told. "You really mean this?"

Slam only chuckled, but his certainty was plenty clear.

The kid honestly looked like he was about to cry, likely only holding himself back since he was with his friends. "Wow... I... I don't know what to say... except..." Without thinking too much about what he was doing, Ricky walked up to the Tasmanian and wrapped him up in a surprisingly strong hug. "Thank you... so much..."

Slam only smiled while he patted the kid's back with one hand and rubbed the top of his head with the other. Back in the huddle, his teammates observed the situation in awe.

"Well I'll be damned..." Ace commented, pleasantly surprised.

"WHAT?" Duck exclaimed once he realized the full magnitude of his friend's actions. "He can't just _give it away_, just like that. Not without going through me first..." With that, the hothead started huffing his way toward the scene.

"Duck, get back here...!" Lexi half-commanded, but to no avail. Showing up at Slam's side, Duck tapped his shoulders to get their attention.

_"Ahem... excuse me..._ what do you think you're doing?" he asked scrupulously.

Both of them looked at the newcomer, but Ricky was the one to acknowledge him. Slam knew that Duck would protest his decision, so he chose not to explain himself.

"Hey, it's Danger Duck!" he said, happily recognizing another Loonatic.

"Yeah, uh... ya got that right, kid," he ranted, "and I don't know if you noticed or not, but I'm also this guy's _coach_... okay? So that means that _I_ have a say in what Slam here does with his winnings!"

"So..." Ricky put his own pieces together, a bit prematurely, "that means this was also your idea too, wasn't it?"

Duck hesitated, "What? Wait, that's not -"

Before he could finish, Ricky quickly approached him and gave him a hug of his own. "You don't know how much this means to me. Thank you so much..."

Duck's voice was unsettling more and more as he struggled in finding a way to deal with this situation. "N-now hold on a minute..."

"I bet you guys hear this a lot," he continued, "but both of you are _real_ heroes. You guys are _my _heroes..."

Duck didn't answer. Something in the boy's response seemed to strike him motionless. An idea that froze him in his steps, but also left him with an unusually warm sensation. It was an odd feeling, one that he had never really felt before even when the eyes of hundreds of spectators were placed squarely on him. It wasn't a bad feeling though, it actually felt somewhat validating. Was it because of the way he addressed him... that word 'hero?' Whatever it was, it almost completely dismantled whatever argument he'd been trying to present.

"Well..." he finally managed to say, "what were _we _gonna do with that money anyway? We're _superheroes_ after all, we've got all the stuff we could ever want..."

Slam was honestly surprised to see Duck's sudden change in position. Duck was even more surprised. What were these words coming out of his mouth? He wasn't sure if he liked them.

"Besides," he continued, "you did _way_ better than anyone else. I've never _seen _a kid like you eat that much before. You deserve a little something..."

"You really mean that?" Ricky asked. Slam had already implied what Duck was saying now, but it was still nice to hear them as actual speech.

Duck swallowed before speaking. "Yeah... of course I do! You agree with me don't you, Slam?"

Slam responded with the biggest smile he had given all day, "Uh-huuh!"

Ricky wore a smile of his own, a very conclusive and peaceful one. "Hey Kyle," he said turning to his friend, "can you get a picture of me with these two real quick?"

"Sure thing!" he responded, pulling a phone out of his pocket.

"Come on, let's get a picture together. I don't ever want to forget this day..." he said happily as he faced the camera and stood between the two of them. Slam leaned in eagerly and smiled widely. Duck was still a bit confused over what he had just done, but he managed a half-earnest grin.

Once the picture had been taken, Ricky turned back to them and said, "I can't thank you guys enough. Believe me... I will _always_ remember this..."

Duck turned and started walking back to his huddle. He had enough sap for one day, "Yeah yeah..."

"Byyeee!" Slam said, turning around himself to follow his teammate.

"Bye, Slam."

And just like that, the two groups separated, Ricky going back to his friends who were now in a frenzy over what had just taken place, and Slam and Duck rejoining their teammates to finally move on to the next item on their schedule. Of course, only Slam actually walked up to his teammates. Duck instead walked by them, hands in his pockets, eyes almost shut, in the apparent direction of the Central Plaza. He didn't feel like wasting any more time here.

"Awww..." Lexi teased as he walked by, "he has a heart."

"Shut up," he fired back simply without missing a step. Knowing it actually was about time for them to head off, his team followed closely behind.

"Ya know Slam," Ace said approvingly while putting a hand on his teammate's shoulder, "that was a _real_ nice thing ya did there."

Slam smiled. That's what he had hoped.

• • • • •

"It is why we are gathered here on this day, the one-year anniversary of the meteor's impact," a booming voice proclaimed through a microphone. The voice belonged to the mayor of Acmetropolis, a dark-skinned and fairly stout older woman whose voice had the astuteness of an elder Victorian queen. Standing before a podium atop a massive circular stage, she addressed a crowd at least several hundred strong assembled in the heart of the Central Plaza.

Beside her, the six Loonatics stood proudly side-by-side each other. For about a good twenty minutes, they had been waiting in their spots patiently as speakers presented an array of stories and offered words of praise to the team. Right now, it was their job to look professional, and above all _humble,_ while they were recognized.

"We are commemorating a time of change and hope for our city, a day which will be written in the history books forever. The road may have been long, and I know that adjusting to this strange new world has been difficult for all of us..."

Slam's food coma was setting in. He tried to fight it as best he could, but five turkey legs, thirty-two chili gurt sandwiches, and countless other in-between snacks were calling him away from consciousness.

"ZzzzzZzzzz..."

Lexi, who was standing right next to him, gave him a swift jab into his side with her elbow once his shoulders had started to slump.

"Whougethanotthaface!" he blurted out after waking up with a start. He was awake for the moment, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could last if this ceremony didn't liven up soon.

"Fortunately," the mayor continued, "we have had help from six _extraordinary_ individuals who have watched over and protected us. One can only imagine the struggles they must've endured, and what they had to sacrifice to be standing where they are now, as proud protectors of Acmetropolis. Their efforts are nothing short of heroic and we can't be thankful enough."

A pause in her words summoned a generous roar of applause from the congregation.

"Amazing..." Lexi mumbled.

"What, tha applause?" Ace asked. "I figured ya'd be used ta all tha attention by now."

"Actually," she corrected, "I was thinking about Duck. I can't believe we've almost made it _all_ the way through the ceremony without him finding a way to embarrass all of us somehow. Now that I think about it, he even behaved himself at the autograph session earlier. It's... amazing."

The two of them looked over at the mallard and saw his stoic facial expression, apparently lost in some kind of thought. She was right... for the moment at least, Duck was rather tame.

"And now," the mayor concluded, "to accept this small token of our appreciation, I'd like to present this commemorative plaque to -"

Out of nowhere, Duck sprang from his position, snatched the wooden prize out from her hands, and made his way to the front part of the stage.

"Thank you, thank you..." he proclaimed, self-servingly, "you know there are _so_ many people in my life who have made this incredible honor possible... but enough about them...!"

The mayor's face hardened into a scowl as various reactions starting emerging from the crowd that ranged from genuine amusement to passive annoyance.

"Ya just _had_ to say somethin', didn't ya?" Ace accused. Lexi could only bring herself to laugh.

"As I'm sure you all know," Duck continued, "it's not easy being a guy like me. There's a lot of hard work -" Before he could interfere with the proceedings any further, the mayor decided to take action and grabbed hold of the plaque just as the mallard was holding it up. After a small struggle, it ended up back in the mayor's possession.

_"This_ award is for the team's _leader_..." she hissed at the rogue hero while also clearing it up for the spectators. _"...Ace Bunny!"_ she proclaimed, initiating a surge of applause. As the actual award recipient approached the podium, the mallard skulked away in the opposite direction looking defeated.

"Thank ya very much mayor," Ace began formally. "I would just like ta start by sayin' that we all feel truly honored by all this city has done fer us not only today, but fer all this past year."

*_Clink!*_

"While it hasn't been tha _easiest_ job o' keepin' watch ova an entire city..."

_*Clink!*_

"...I promise that my team and I will always do what we can ta ensure the safety of each and every one o' ya!"

_*Clink!* *Clink!*_

"But I have ta say, it's a good thing it's not every day that destruction..." Ace faltered as the random clinking noises became too apparent to ignore. A pellet caught his eye as it hit the top of the podium and bounced away. _*Clink!*_ He looked up, but only caught a glimpse of the odd precipitation before another pellet landed on the top of his forehead, forcing his gaze away. "...rains down upon us...?"

By then, _everyone_ had taken notice of the phenomenon that was putting a stall in their ceremony.

"What's-this-some-kind-of-hail?" Rev openly asked as the objects continued to fall, this time at a rate that seemed more like a light rainfall.

"I don't think so," Tech informed as he gathered some of the pieces into his open hand. Looking at his collected samples, the pellets were smoothly shaped, yet brittle-looking pieces of reddish-brown earth. "These are rock pellets."

Rev gathered a few into his own hand. "Gee-these-sure-are-some-funny-lookin'-rocks-though-Tech-what-kind-do-you-think-they-are?"

Tech squeezed his palm and found that the pellets could be crushed relatively easily. "I'm not sure Rev... but you don't usually find carbon structures like these here on Earth."

"So-you-think...?"

Tech nodded, "this must be some kind of meteor shower... how unusual..."

Lexi rubbed the top of her head after a few rocks had landed squarely on top of her. "You think they would've warned us about somethin like this on the news... or at least on the weather channel. I would've brought an umbrella or something."

"Well don't look now," Ace broke in, "but I don't think an umbrella is gonna help ya much this time around." Lexi looked up and was shocked to see a significantly larger rock headed straight for her. Since the leader had already seen it , he quickly shot a laser blast from his eyes at the meteor, reducing it to dust and debris.

_*Crash!* _The entire team's attention was diverted behind them where a rock had just landed on the stage, just a few feet away. Looking around them, it seemed like more and more larger rocks were landing at all sorts of odd places. A particularly larger one fell straight on top of a light post, bending the top half of it downward significantly.

Gasps erupted from the crowd once they caught sight of a rock the size of a medicine ball that was set to land right in the middle of the first few rows. Thinking quickly, Lexi shot an energy blast at the object from her ears just in time to save them.

The team took a collective look up at the sky and saw that the shower showed no signs of letting up, and that many of the oncoming rocks looked large enough to do some serious damage.

"Alright guys, I think ya know what ta do," Ace said.

At that point, Duck had decided to go ahead and rejoin his teammates.

"So much for that day off..."

* * *

><p><strong>And with that, we have finally reached the part of the story that starts to overlap with the original episode. And it only took me 80k+ words to finally get through the first 30 seconds to the episode :P Fun fact! With the release of this chapter, my story is already the 6th longest story EVER on this site for Loonatics fanfiction. And I'm only through the first quarter of this story. Yes, this story will have a total of 20 chapters. But don't fret, as most of them will likely be around the 10-15,000 word range, and not even close to the length of this chapter... But still, this is gonna be one LONG story...<strong>

**Now that this chapter's out, I'm gonna take a couple of days off from writing. I've got a few important things coming up this week, and my time is needed elsewhere. But, I will slowly start putting an outline together and hopefully start the actual writing again after a few days of rest. My goal is to have the next chapter out by the end of November. But, fair warning, do NOT hold me to that.**

**Anyway, this is where the story starts getting REALLY good. From here on out, we start getting into the nitty-gritty details of each of the Loonatics. What were their lives like before the comet? How did they discover their powers? What did they do about them? All of these questions will finally be answered and it is my goal that you will NOT be dissappointed! Each character will get a span of two chapters to tell their story (parts one and two just like these last two chapters), and WILL be uploaded a week apart from each other. I will make 100% sure that I won't upload the first chapter until I'm at least 95% done with the second. There will be no such thing as a delay between parts one and two anymore.**

**Well, logistics aside, I hope you really enjoyed this chapter. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think! Feedback is essentially the reason that I write, so anything at all is greatly appreciated. You excited for what's to come? I know I am. :P Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, I think it's the best response I've gotten since the first chapter. So Candlestic, Loonaticslover13, Chocol, kisa sohma cookie (I'm really liking your story by the way), Jamocha101, and my three guests... all you guys are freakin' awesome! :D**

**Now it's time to take it easy for a bit... and then move on to some _real_ story telling.**

**First up... Ace.**


	6. The Stuntman (pt 1)

**Yay, I'm back!**

**In case you haven't been keeping track, it's been exactly four months since I posted the last chapter... ... :(**

**Yeah, I can't apologize enough for the huge delay in my writing. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but a lot of things seemed to crash in all at once and it's been really difficult to find time to go to school, go to work, write fanfiction, and have a halfway decent social life all at once. But I guess that's just a way of life when you try to have a creative hobby while going to college. And admittedly, I didn't write nearly as much as I should have while I was on Christmas Break... hehe. Either way, I'm really going to try and get future installments out quicker. If I had written this entire chapter as quickly as I've been writing during the past couple of weeks, I could've probably had this out around New Years. Anyway, we'll talk plenty more about release dates/possibilities later...**

**This is my first backstory chapter! :D Like I've said before, we'll be going over the backstories of each Loonatic EXTENSIVELY, so much so that each character will have a total of three chapters devoted to them. This is the first part of Ace's story. I have to say, that I am actually very proud of this chapter. It ended up being even better than what I expected and, in risk of overselling it, I think this might be the best chapter I've ever written. But then again, that's just my opinion and you'll just have to read for yourself to decide what you think. The chapter starts off where we left off at the festival before we start getting into the flashbacks.**

**Also, in case you haven't noticed or were wondering, this story has a new icon. I hand-drew that picture myself and it will be the official icon for this story for the next three chapters (while Ace is the focus). It's also part of the reason why I took a little longer than I expected. I'll be drawing one of those for each of the Loonatics so expect more drawings in the future!**

**One more thing. You'll notice that at the beginning of the chapters from now on, there will be song lyrics. I've picked out three songs for each character that I think represent them well in this story. So, while the story focuses on them, I will share a sample of the lyrics from one of their "character songs" at the beginning of each of their chapters. 3 chapters = 3 songs. Not only will you get a look into the kind of music I like, but you'll also have a chance to get another look at what I feel each of the Loonatics represents. I encourage you to give the full songs a listen when/if you have the chance. :)**

**Anyway, I've wasted enough time, so let's just get to the story. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to proudly present to you... the story of Ace Bunny...**

**DISCLAIMER:**** I do not own the Loonatics or anything involved with them. They are all copyright of Warner Bros. or whatever. I only claim rights to any original characters and any original plotlines. So, ha! Just try and stop me now copyright peoples!**

* * *

><p><em>"Someone told me love would all save us<em>

_But how can that be? Look what love gave us..._

_A world full of killing, and blood spilling_

_That world never came_

_And they say that a hero can save us_

_I'm not gonna stand here and wait_

_I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles_

_Watch as they all fly away..."  
><em>

- "Hero" by _Chad Kroeger_

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 6 - The Stuntman (pt.1)<strong>

"Hit it, Loonatics! We've got people ta save!"

If he had the chance, Ace probably would've taken the time to shout out more specific directions, but the rapidly approaching meteors wouldn't allow him any more than a simple call to action. Fortunately, that was all his team needed.

Before their leader had even finished his order, they had sprung into action, each doing whatever they could to best help the now panicked and disoriented crowd. Ace had the furthest projectile range of anyone else on the team with his laser vision, so he played to his strength by focusing primarily on the rocks that were falling out of the comfortable range of his teammates and threatening the people in the furthest and most dispersed areas from the stage.

Lexi's brain blasts had quite an impressive range as well, but they just couldn't match Ace's lasers in terms of proficiency. The further her waves of sonic energy had to travel, the weaker and more unstable they became, greatly reducing her accuracy. While she could occasionally sneak into the long-range areas, she used most of her energy on more mid-range targets that were well within her area of control.

Of course, the majority of the people in the crowd found themselves in the mid- to close-range areas, so a little extra protection there would be necessary. That's where Slam and Duck came in. Since Duck was the only other member on the team with a usable projectile attack, it was clear that he would have to be the main person providing backup for Lexi. The only problem was that since the contents of Duck's eggs were largely left to chance, it wasn't the most reliable move. He compensated the only way he knew how... by throwing whole barrages of eggs as fast as his arms would let him. More eggs thrown meant more chances of finding the good ones that could actually deal some damage.

This left most of the close-range area to Slam. He may not have had any projectiles, but knowing that he could easily reduce most of these meteors to dust with a good clean strike, he decided to put his fists to work. While he was initially only capable of defending the immediate stage area this way, he quickly found out that if he angled his hits just right, and swung with just the right amount of force, he could send a meteor flying backward instead of destroying it outright. With a method like this, he could easily destroy multiple rocks at once by crashing them into each other and more effectively cover his post.

Together, the four of them were handling the situation well enough, but there were still two Loonatics who had yet to spring into action. At first, Tech tried using his magnetism on the meteors in hopes of finding any amount of metal he could manipulate. But seeing as how the most he could do was stray a few of them off-course, it became clear that these rocks had little to no metals at all. It certainly wasn't enough to be considered useful, so this method was quickly abandoned.

But what else could he do? The powers Tech had at his disposal were better suited to more defensive or strategic tactics. In such a spur of the moment situation that required a lot of offensive strength, he couldn't help but feel a little helpless. In an effort to buy himself some more time, he clenched one of his fists, gathered some magnetic energy into his palm, and threw his arm into the air, forming a temporary electromagnetic shield that would not only protect himself, but also the other inactive teammate standing next to him.

If Tech was feeling helpless, Rev was feeling downright useless. Unlike his teammates, Rev had virtually no offensive capabilities. Sure, he had some decent combat moves - by coupling his strikes with super speed, he could deal punches and kicks that almost mimicked super strength - but this was hardly a one-on-one fight. To give his strikes enough force to do some damage, he needed both the time and the space to properly accelerate them, neither of which he had at the moment. He quickly dismissed the idea of taking to the sky as well, seeing as how he would likely spend more time evading oncoming meteors than he would actually hitting them.

Once Tech threw up his shield, he immediately understood the coyote's intentions and moved closer to him for protection. They both stood in silence for a moment, stressing over what either of them could do to contribute, before Tech eventually broke the silence.

"Rev, how are your legs?" he asked.

Rev glanced downward and tried to see if he could give them a proper assessment. For the most part, it felt like his legs had largely recovered from earlier. Aside from some lingering stiffness and a couple of sore spots, they seemed to be perfectly functional. Of course, he hadn't tried running on them yet...

"They're-fine," he answered simply.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes-Tech-I'm-sure!" he chirped back, slightly annoyed at his insistence.

Tech wasn't too convinced, but this wasn't the best time to protest. "The ship's not far from here. I need you to run down there as quick as you can and fetch me my neutron cannon. I need you to be fast, but don't push –" Before he could finish, he turned and found that the roadrunner was nowhere in sight, no doubt already having raced off on his new mission. Sure enough, Rev had made it back to the coyote's side in a matter of seconds, carrying with him an armful of weapons.

"You-didn't-say-if-you-wanted-the-_defracting_-neutron-cannon-or-the-_beam-splitter-_neutron-cannon-or-the-one-that-goes-GA-GA-GA-GA-GA-GA—!"

"This one should do the trick…" he said with a smirk as he picked up a large blue blaster at the topmost part of the pile, "thanks, Rev." With a quick change of hands, he dropped the barrier, took hold of the weapon, and started firing powered energy shots at any asteroid in sight.

The coyote may have had a natural offensive disadvantage compared to most of his teammates, but his proficiency with firearms more than helped him make up for it. It only made sense that the genius who actually created the team's weapons would also be the one to spend most of his training time figuring out how to best use them. Consequently, Tech was perhaps the most proficient marksman on the team, and was often the one called on when the team needed a sharp shooter. With his newfound means of support, he quickly went to work providing backup for his teammates, specifically aiming for the meteors that were out of their reach.

Unfortunately, now that Rev was finished with his impromptu delivery, he was once again left without a way to contribute. Looking at the surplus of weapons he had on hand now, his first thought was to see if he could follow Tech's example and use one of the blasters. He picked out a long, dark green-colored cannon and set the others down in a pile beside him. This was the rapid-fire neutron cannon, or the gun that went "GA-GA-GA!" as he so called it. Anxious to see what he could do with it, he picked out a random falling meteor, aimed his gun at it, and pulled the trigger.

Of course, Rev didn't really have a lot of experience with firearms of this caliber and the amount of recoil that came with these shots caught him completely off-guard. Only the first few shots actually hit the intended target - leaving it virtually unscathed - while the barrage of shots that followed after went in almost every other direction as the roadrunner lost control of his aim. As quick as he could reclaim his composure, he managed to release his hold on the trigger and put an end to this momentary chaos. Looking around, he was relieved to see that it didn't seem like any of his rogue shots had hurt anyone or damaged anything, and the meteor he was aiming at had ultimately been taken care of by one of Slam's punches. Not daring to try his hand at it again, he decidedly tossed the gun back into the pile with the others. He could manage the simpler guns well enough, but these were out of his expertise.

And once again, Rev was back at square one. There had to be something he could do, right? He couldn't just stand by idly while his friends were doing all the work. They were counting on him... the townspeople were counting on him... He had to come up with something... but what? Putting his thoughts into overdrive, his eyes took to scanning the crowd. Since the meteor shower had started, it had thinned out significantly, most of the people having retreated into nearby buildings for safety. However, not everyone had managed to find their way out of the confusion and groups of people could still be seen trying to find a way through the scrambling crowds of panicked citizens.

And just like that, Rev had an idea.

"Rev..!" Ace yelled out in an attempt to get the speedster's attention.

"Already-on-it!" Rev shouted back immediately, already knowing what his leader was going to suggest. As the red started to shine from his eyes, he couldn't help but wonder if his legs were going to be up for such a task.

But then again, this wasn't the time for him to be thinking about himself.

With his newly acquired sense of purpose, he raced out into the crowd and started ferrying anybody he could out of the confused mess and into the nearest safe zone. While his friends worked on controlling the downpour, it was now _his_ job to get as many people to safety as he could.

He didn't let it distract him, but Ace couldn't help but smile at Rev's perceptiveness. That little ball of energy could always figure something out, couldn't he? Fortunately for all of them, Rev's actions were actually quite necessary and he was thankful that he didn't have to waste time in giving a full command. In a matter of seconds, he watched as the roadrunner, running quickly enough to leave a trail of lingering flames behind him, scooped up a young boy and his even younger sister from the center of the plaza and carried them over to a modest storage house nearby, where some other citizens were already taking shelter. As quickly as he got the two of them out of harm's way, he raced back to that same spot and carried another individual to the storage house who turned out to be the children's mother. Another lightning-fast rescue trip brought the father into the picture as well. It was a touching scene, the four of them reunited in a family hug, but Ace had only looked at it for a second before he was struck with a realization of his own.

His mom was out there.

His eyes scanned the remains of the crowd frantically in hopes of finding her. She said that she was going to be here for the ceremony. Had she managed to find shelter... or was she still caught in the crowd? Not knowing the answer to that was tearing him apart with worry, and no matter where he looked, he couldn't find any sign of her anywhere. There was just too much confusion for him to get a good look from where he was standing now.

Thinking it over carefully, he was faced with two options. He could either stay where he was, focus on the meteor shower, and hope that his mother was one of the ones who managed to escape... or he could leave his post momentarily and make sure of it himself.

As a leader, the logical answer was clear.

But as a son...

"Lexi!" he called out, trying to get the female bunny's attention.

"Yeah, Ace?" she answered back, though not turning her attention away from the meteors.

"Keep an eye on things fer me up here, will ya? I gotta get out there..!"

"What? Why?!"

"I just need ta take care o' somethin' real quick," he answered, trying not to be more specific in fear of sounding selfish. "I'll be back in a sec..!"

"What are you crazy?" she asked incredulously, stopping him in his tracks. "We need you up here!"

It looked like he _was_ going to have to explain himself. "It's my _mom_, Lexi... she's out there somewhere! I have ta find her!"

Lexi's assertiveness softened as the two of them stared at each other. Looking into his eyes, she saw the usual seriousness and sense of urgency that he would typically have during situations like these. But what surprised her was that she could also see a good amount of uncertainty and even a bit of panic mixed in with it, emotions she didn't normally see in her leader. She was still convinced that what Ace wanted to do wasn't a very smart idea, but she also wasn't sure if she could bring herself to try and hold him back.

It probably wouldn't matter anyway. Judging by his expression, his mind had already been long made up.

"Alright..." she conceded, "we'll cover you. Just be quick..."

Ace nodded, "Thanks, Lex." With one quick motion, he pulled out his Guardian Strike Sword, and leapt from the stage into the chaos.

"Tech..." Lexi called out in instruction after he left, "cover the long range while Ace is out! I'll help you out as much as I can..."

"I'm on it!" Tech answered back, obediently following the orders of their momentary leader.

Sprinting frantically through the crowd, Ace was as thankful as ever to have a blade like the Guardian Strike Sword. If it were any other normal weapon, the leader wouldn't have even considered bringing it along, considering that this was just supposed to be a peaceful ceremony. But the Strike Sword was very easy to transport, possessing a unique ability to collapse itself into its own handle - which was no bigger than a water bottle - when it wasn't in use. Because of that, it was easier for him to go with his gut and bring the trusty sword along, just in case. This time, it looked like his instincts were on point.

He also couldn't help but admire how ridiculously strong it was. Zadavia had told him that the blade was built from some of the most durable metals in the universe, and it certainly showed. While his teammates seemed to be holding their own pretty well without him, meteors had an easier time slipping through a four-man defense system than a five-man one. Consequentially, Ace still found himself dodging and striking whatever rocks that happened to fall in his path. A swift swipe of his sword could split one of the rocks in two, a feat he was sure most other swords were incapable of.

As he raced through the chaotic scene in the plaza, it almost reminded him of his old training exercises. His constant ducking, diving, and dodging, mixed with the occasional strategically-timed strike, was testing the extent of his evasiveness and sense of perception. It was the kind of situation he often familiarized himself with during his past martial arts training. It was almost nostalgic in a way...

The way things used to be...

Even amongst his battle with a falling sky, Ace couldn't help but be reminded of it all... his old life... his old job... his old home... and of course, his mother...

...

..._he had to find her._

•

• • •

• • • • •

• • •

•

"Wow, dat was tha coolest movie, evah!"

As the crowd of people happily exited the theater, a young bunny eagerly skipped out ahead of his mother, mind buzzing from the excitement of the images he had just seen.

"Hold on a second, Ace..." his mother cautioned behind him to little effect as her son burst through the theater doors, running into the sidewalk outside. Seeming not to care who was around, the boy began scurrying around energetically while loudly voicing praise and child-like excitement over his favorite superhero.

"Hey look at me, I'm Blaze!" he chirped as he picked up a stick from the ground and began brandishing it like a sword. _"Hand ova tha goil, Nightfang... or I'll burn ya to a crisp!"_

"Ace..."

_"Don't ya know what happens when ya play with fire? You only get __**burned!**__"_

Just as Ace had begun to engage his invisible nemesis in battle, his mother caught up with him and placed a hand on his shoulder, diverting his attention.

"Ace," she said, "we need to get going. You have to get up for school tomorrow and it's getting late."

"Awww... but I'm not tired yet, mom..."

"Here, take my hand..." she instructed, ignoring his complaint. The boy latched onto his mother as she proceeded to lead him off the sidewalk and across the street. They were headed into a public park on the other side and once they made it through there, it would only be a few more blocks before they reached their home.

Ace probably could've made a bigger show out of his pouting, but after seeing a movie starring his favorite sword-wielding, fire-summoning superhero, there was no way his mood could stay sour. He was jumping up and down again before they even made it to the park.

"Dat was such a cool movie," he resumed gleefully. "My favorite part was when Blaze lit his sword on fire and used it ta kill tha scary swamp monster! What was _your_ favorite part, mom?"

She chuckled, "Whatever part _you_ liked best..."

"Hey mom... do ya think superheroes are real?"

"Hmmm... I'm not sure, sweetie..." she answered carefully. "I've never seen one before..."

"Well... maybe they just protect us in secret... dat's why ya've nevah seen one!"

She smiled at him, "Maybe you're right..."

"Superheroes are _so_ cool, huh? I wish_ I _was one of 'em, 'cuz they're not afraid of anything!" Ace leapt from his mother's grasp and raced into a small huddle of trees just outside the park path. "If I had superpowahs, I could do whatevah I wanted, and I'd be _really strong!_ I'd even be strong enough ta stand up ta those mean ol' fourth graders dat like ta pick on us at recess..." He held up the twig he was still carrying with him and swung it around like a sword once again.

"Take _dat_... _and_ _dat_...!"

"Well you know, Ace..." she began as her son flailed around, using his imaginary powers, "you don't need to have superpowers to be strong..."

Her son only looked at her curiously, with a face that looked like it didn't quite understand. "It's true," she continued. "And whether or not there really _are_ superheroes out there somewhere... _anybody_ can be a hero... all it takes is a little courage. As long as you're brave enough to stand up for what's right, you're _already_ strong enough to be a hero."

Ace dug his toes into the ground for a second, not having quite expected such an answer. "I guess so..." he muttered after a moment, "...but superpowahs would help!"

His mother chuckled warmly, "I'm sure they would."

With their little moment finished, she held her hand out in front of her to which her son quickly took hold of. The young bunny's energy was still brimming as they continued down the park path.

"When I grow up," he exclaimed, "I wanna be a _real-life superhero!_ I'll have all these cool powahs and fight bad guys, just like Blaze! And when people need help, they can just come ta me, and I can help 'em! I'll be extra _brave_ and _strong_... and I won't be afraid of anything..."

There was small stint of uncharacteristic silence as they walked on. Ace was looking at the stick in his hand reflectively.

"...and maybe if I was a _real_ superhero... I could go find out where daddy went and bring him back home..."

Ace was surprised when the two of them suddenly stopped walking.

Curiously, he looked up at his mom and saw a blank, yet oddly pained expression on her face. Her gaze was cast towards the ground in front of her and was oddly still as if his words had frozen her somehow. Her grip around his hand seemed a little tighter as well.

"Mommy..." he asked worriedly, "what's tha matter?"

She didn't respond right away, but a light shake of her arm seemed to snap her back to reality. Her expression vanished as quickly as it had come and was replaced by the calmer, more collected demeanor he was more familiar with.

"It's nothing..." she assured, relaxing her grip. "Come on, sweetie... we better get you home. It's getting dark..."

• • •

**• Time: 3:47 p.m.**

**• Date: March 18, 2772**

It was surprising how vivid that memory still was.

He wasn't sure why it had come to him now of all times, but he guessed it probably had something to do with the room he was in. He was sitting in a waiting room filled with rows of empty chairs. He was the only one there now, but about an hour ago there had been dozens of other people scattered in those seats. One by one they were all summoned away, his stomach twisting into another knot each time a name was called that wasn't his.

Aside from the walls painted in brilliant golds, reds, and purples, and adorned with signed movie posters alongside portraits of famous actors and actresses, it was essentially a standard sort of waiting room. There were coffee tables placed amongst the chairs that were littered with all sorts of magazines. There was a television screen placed in the corner that was broadcasting a 24-hour news program. At the front desk, a few receptionists were busy typing away at computers and taking business calls.

Out of all the waiting rooms he had sat in over the years, this had to be one of the nicer ones though, and he probably would've been more appreciative of his surroundings if his nerves weren't so distracting. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so nervous. Wasn't he usually a much more confident guy?

A door beside the reception desk eased open with a click that sent a jolt through his skin. Through the entryway, a man in a headset appeared, clutching a clipboard.

"Ace Bunny...?" he called out, reading a name off the list. Finally hearing his name called, Ace made eye contact with the man, and stood up with an understanding nod. "Saving the best for last?" the man jested.

Ace chuckled nervously, "Let's hope so."

He couldn't even come up with a remark better than _that?_ Something really was wrong...

As he followed the man through the door and into a series of winding hallways, the sheer magnitude of the entire situation started hitting him harder than ever. Here he was at the head office of one of the biggest film production companies in Acmetropolis, a company that had introduced the world to some of the most promising film icons of their time as well as a wide array of popular film franchises.

Among these franchises was a film series known as _The Adventures of Man-Babe_. Thus far, it had seven films in its repertoire and an eighth installment was currently in production. Though most film critics could agree that the series' quality had declined in recent years, each new sequel would always seem to draw in enough moviegoers to warrant its typical designation as an A-list summer blockbuster.

It was the kind of spotlight Ace had been chasing after for years. He was still a fresh face in the movie business, but the bunny had already managed to garner a modest reputation for himself. Unfortunately, when compared to the established veterans of the film industry, he was still an inexperienced rookie at best and the young stuntman could rarely land anything better than a B-list movie.

This time though, it seemed like Lady Luck had given him the opportunity of a lifetime. Just a few days ago, the lead stuntman cast in the newest _Man-Babe_ sequel - doubling for the lead actor - had injured himself while performing a scene and wouldn't be able to finish the film. If that wasn't enough, it seemed none of the other stuntmen they had on hand could adequately portray the part. With their filming deadline fast approaching, the producers couldn't afford to hold a traditional open casting call, so they had to come up with a quick solution. Apparently, enough people had submitted their names for that same part during the initial casting calls that they decided to call everyone back for a round of emergency auditions.

Ace was one of these people.

This was it, a _real_ second chance. It honestly hadn't surprised him at all when they overlooked his name entirely in the initial selections and didn't even bring him in for an official audition. He couldn't expect anything more with a franchise as iconic as this one. But now that fate had finally given him a real chance to prove himself, he was facing an opportunity he had spent much of his life preparing for.

Ever since he was a child, he dreamed of a future where people would know his name, where he would stand out among the ordinary people around him and truly make something of himself… of course, his dreams had been a bit more specific when he was younger. He had to admit that wanting to be a real-life superhero was a decent place for him to start, but everyone has to grow up sometime. Though, that sort of youthful idealism wouldn't be so quick to leave him.

A real role model... someone people could look up to... a hero in his own right... maybe _that_ was what he really wanted. Maybe...

Ace was suddenly lifted from his thoughts when the two of them came to a stop at a lone door at the end of a long hallway. His heart was racing...

"Here we are," the man announced as he reached for the doorknob, "the last audition of the day. You ready to go?"

"Eh... not really," Ace admitted as he again wondered what had happened to his usual sense of wit. The man smirked at him before opening the door and ushering the bunny to proceed inside.

The audition room looked a lot like the inside of a typical gymnasium, being roughly the same size. The walls were completely bare and colored a pristine shade of white that almost seemed to glow, standing at stark contrast to the scuffed-up, black marble floor below him. He wasn't sure, but he could've sworn that he had seen a room like this in a movie once before.

At one end of the room, four individuals were seated at a long table draped in a black cloth. On one end, there was a middle-aged businessman dressed in a sharp suit. If Ace had to guess, he'd pin him down as an executive who worked in the higher levels of management. The woman next to him looked to be of similar status in her own formal looking attire. She was probably around the same age as him also, with dark brown skin and pepper-colored hair.

Next to her was another woman, though much younger and more casual-looking. Her skin was a light peach and her hair was mostly blonde save for a bright red highlight that fell behind her left ear. Out of the four of them, her eyes appeared to be the kindest, as if she was the only one who hadn't gotten tired of sitting through hours of auditions. It made the man sitting next to her stand out that much more. He was an artsy-looking fellow with fairly long black hair underneath an odd red beret, a trim goatee in the shape of an upside-down triangle wedge, and an oversized pair of clear visor glasses. The eyes behind them oozed a sense of self-importance and his expression suggested that his patience had been the one among the four of them to run out first.

The man with the clipboard took his place by the entry door and prompted Ace to stand in the center of the room facing the judges' table, to which he complied. He waited patiently – and nervously – to be addressed as the two older judges were busy scribbling notes into their papers.

"Ace Bunny?" the suited man inquired, finally looking up.

"Yes sir."

"It looks like you're the last one for today. How do you feel?"

"Yes sir."

The man gave him a look and an odd sort of shrug before writing something else in his notes. Ace slapped himself mentally. "Alright," the judge continued, "we'll just start off by getting right to the physical audition and save the questions for afterwards. Your audition will be divided into three parts which you will do in succession with only brief pauses in between. Each part will last only a few minutes and they will test your abilities in an arrangement of different scenarios. We will not only be testing your abilities but also your sense of awareness and reasoning. To start off, we'll need you to choose a weapon."

He gave a motion of his fingers and two assistants pulled out a long metal rack that displayed a large variety of handheld weapons in all shapes and sizes. He couldn't help but marvel at such an impressive assortment, but there was one weapon in particular that the bunny couldn't seem to take his eyes off of. Immediately, he took hold of a long, thin sword with a black and blue handle as the two men rolled the cart away. Giving the instrument a good look over, he quickly realized that it wasn't any typical blade. It was a state-of-the-art "dummy" training sword, the kind that were often used as props as well as training equipment. It had the same weight and feel of an actual sword, but it could only work effectively against objects that were made of similar "dummy" training materials. To anything else, this sword was no deadlier than a child's toy.

The man gave a nod as the woman next to him jotted a few things down in her own notes. "Excellent choice," he acknowledged. "You may use your weapon for the first two parts only. Before you begin the third assessment, you will need to hand it back to our assistants. Your first evaluation will begin once you hear the buzzer. Good luck."

Ace nodded in understanding and readied his sword in front of him. For several agonizing seconds, the room fell into a dead silence that convinced him that the judges could somehow hear the thunderous beating of his own heart. He took a few seconds to calm his nerves and center his mind through a few calming, meditative breaths. He didn't have long though, as the sound of a buzzer instantly snapped him into _action mode._

The sounds of machines warming up drew his attention to the walls where small hatch doors halfway up slid open to reveal what looked like small, embedded launch barrels. He kept himself from taking a full look around, but from what he could tell, it looked like there were three doors on each wall, which meant twelve total spots where projectiles could be shot from.

Not even a second later, he picked up the sound of compressed air and instinctively side-stepped to his right, dodging a projectile that had been shot from one of the barrels directly behind him. Hearing another shot, he turned in the direction of that same barrel and saw a second projectile – a grayish disk somewhat smaller than a Frisbee – heading straight for his chest. With a quick diagonal swipe of his sword, he split the disk in two, both pieces landing on the ground on either side of him.

He knew he recognized this room. This was the same room that had been used in a scene from one of the earlier, classic _Man-Babe_ movies, a famous scene where the hero was trying to escape from a villainous research lab and had to cross through a room where poisonous darts shot out of the walls. Ace couldn't hold back his grin for finally making sense of such an odd room. As the adrenaline started coursing through his veins, he felt all his anxiety melt away, his usual confidence finally coming back to take its place.

Now it was time for him to shine.

With every burst of air that he heard, Ace reacted with a swift and calculated response. If he caught the disk in a good range he could slice it with his sword. If the disk wasn't so compliant, he would simply dodge it with a side-step, duck, or even a jump if it came at his feet. The barrage of disks was manageable at first, allowing him ample time to showcase his skills with a number of trick shots or evasive gymnastics. But sure enough, the disks started coming faster as time progressed, often firing in multiples at a time. Even with his best efforts, he couldn't avoid the inevitable number of disks that slipped through his defenses and hit him directly, and by the end he was dodging more disks than he could hit, ultimately using his sword as more of a shield than a weapon. Still, the determined bunny managed to keep hold of his footing, and could only hope the judges weren't looking for perfection.

As he managed to swipe through one final disk, he heard the sound of a buzzer, the same one from before. The mini-cannons ceased firing and retreated back into the walls, doors sliding shut to reform the pristine, seamless walls. Assuming this meant he was done with the first part of the audition, Ace took a second to relax himself and catch his breath as the judges scribbled notes and a team of sweepers swept the floor clean in a matter of moments.

After the room was once again like new, the buzzer sounded again to signal the start of the second assessment. Like before, the sounds of machines warming up drew his attention to the walls as they revealed yet another surprise. On three of the walls (excluding the one the judges were in front of) a number of garage-size doors opened up as a series of robotic, gray training dummies made their way out. The dummies were humanoid in shape despite having fairly small arms in proportion to their bodies and flat-wheels instead of legs. Most of them were roughly his size, though there were a few that stood at least a few feet taller and a good deal stouter.

Looking at his new test, Ace wasn't quite sure what was expected of him. Was he supposed to try and cut them to pieces, or should he try and think of a way to stop them without damaging the equipment? Were they just simple moving targets, or were they actually programmed to attack him somehow? He spent his first minute or two simply trying to stay out of their way and observing them, trying to come up with a battle plan. It soon became clear that the robots didn't have any real offensive capabilities, but they were able to keep track of his movements as they followed after him wherever he went. Ultimately, he decided that a full offensive assault wouldn't be necessary.

His plan instead would be to render them motionless. They were sturdy robots for sure, but a few strong, well-timed punches or kicks could knock them off their wheels. Once they were on their side, they were unable to pick themselves back up and, aside from a bit of pesky flailing, were no longer a threat. The larger dummies were trickier. Not only did they require a lot more force to knock over, but their arms were actually long enough to help them back onto their wheels. As much as Ace tried to avoid it, he found it most effective to use his sword to either cripple or remove the arms entirely before knocking them over. Without the useful appendages, they were even less threatening than the smaller dummies.

A few swift strikes knocked the last standing robot off-balance, and a sweep at its feet sent it falling backwards. The moment it hit the ground, the buzzer went off again to signal the end of the second assessment. As the cleaners once again came out, this time to deactivate and take the robots away, Ace used this chance to look over at the judges and gauge what they might be thinking. The two official-looking ones were busy scribbling notes as usual, but the younger woman seemed to be grinning amusingly at him while the man with the beret was giving him a curious look.

Once the robots were cleared, an attendant came up to Ace directly and asked for his sword, to which he complied and gave it away. Once it was out of his hands, a man dressed in a traditional martial arts robe stepped out through a door and walked up to him. He was a fairly muscular man who looked to be around his mid-30s and sported a clean shaven head. With a nod of acknowledgement, the man put his hands together and bowed respectfully before his opponent. Being all too familiar with this practice, Ace returned the gesture respectfully before they each took a stance to ready themselves. It looked like the last assessment was going to be a standard one-on-one fight.

With the sound of the buzzer just seconds later, the man lunged forward with an open-palmed strike to his chest, which he quickly stepped backwards to avoid. Similarly to what he had done with the dummies, Ace relied on a purely defensive strategy for the first few moments, using this time to assess his opponent's moves. The first thing he noticed was that his strikes were forceful, yet restrained... as they should be in a peaceful sparring match. If anything, this revealed that his opponent was indeed well trained in this kind of combat.

It may have been a simple or obvious thing to notice, but it did help him piece together just what kind of fighting style he was up against. His strikes may have been quick and powerful, but they were also very readable. He seemed to be relying on textbook techniques and made little effort into any kind of surprises. If Ace was perceptive enough, he could correctly predict where and how he would strike next, allowing him to put up an effective block. For sure, the man's technique was near perfect, but what should have been his greatest strength was going to be his greatest weakness...

By knowing just how and where his opponent was focusing his energy, not only could he block his attacks, but he could also use a counter-strike and hit him where he would be most vulnerable at that moment. With a few good strikes, he could easily take away his opponent's momentum and set him up to be knocked to the ground. If he couldn't outright take his momentum _away_, he would instead use it against him by grabbing hold of an oncoming limb and countering with a throw. Of course, the man was certainly capable of holding his own, landing a few impressive moves of his own when he had the chance, but it was clear who had the advantage.

Catching a rounded kick at his side, Ace had just managed to flip his opponent onto his back one last time before the buzzer sounded for the final time. Releasing his lock, he helped the man back onto his feet. They exchanged another bow before he walked away, leaving Ace alone with the judges. Surprisingly, none of them were writing anything down, and all eyes were looking him over intently with expressions that hinted at a revived interest. That was, except for the man in the beret who was looking unusually scornful.

"Impressive work, Mr. Bunny..." the formal-looking man began.

Ace smirked slightly, simultaneously happy about his performance as well as the return of his lost confidence. "With all due respect sir, ya can just call me 'Ace.' I'm not much fa dat formal stuff..."

"_Ace_, then," he corrected, "how many years have you been in the business?"

"I was cast in my first role almost two an' a half years ago."

"And let me ask you _this_," he continued. "How long have you been training in the martial arts?"

"I'd say... since I was about seven years old."

He looked at his papers, "And you're twenty years old now..."

"Yes sir."

"I saw you using a lot of different techniques," the younger woman spoke up. "What kind of styles do you know?"

"Well, aside from traditional karate, I've also taken classes in tae kwon do... judo... tai chi... an' even _northern chāquán_. O' course, I nevah try ta stick to just _one_ style too much and add in a lot o' my own stuff..."

The woman smiled a bit and looked like she was going to add something else before the man with the beret spoke first. "Well _some_ of your techniques did seem a little... _unorthodox_ to say the least." His words were generic enough, but his tone suggested the worst they could possibly imply. "According to your file, you were never called in for an _official_ audition during casting. Care to _explain_ anything about that?"

He wasn't sure what it was, but something about that guy was definitely rubbing him the wrong way. "I guess it's just because I'm still pretty new to tha business. Big movie studios like these don't really like guys like me, ya know?"

"Well I'm surprised," the younger woman answered, "you're clearly very talented."

"Thank ya, ma'am," Ace responded with a smile.

"Now... before we let you go, Mr. Bunny," the older woman began, "I want to ask you one last question..." She paused. "Why do _you_ think we should cast you for this part?" All of the judges were now watching him intently, waiting to see how he would answer.

Ace took a second to gather his thoughts. "Well, ta be honest..." he started off hesitantly, "I don't really think I can give ya a good enough reason..."

A few of the judges shuffled in their chairs. None of them had expected an answer like that. "And why is that?" the older man asked.

"I didn't get ta see any o' tha other auditions today," he explained, "so I can't honestly tell ya if I was tha best. Fer a movie like dis, I know ya can only pick whicheva one ya think was tha best... and I don't know if dat was me. But I _do _know one thing... I've worked hard ta get where I am today... and I've been through a lot ovah tha past few years..." Ace felt his fists tighten, "An' I _promise_... if yer willin' ta give me dis part... I _will_ work even harder... as hard as I possibly can... ta be tha _best_ stuntman you've evah seen...!"

There was a small bout of silence as the four pairs of eyes seemed to be locked onto his own. Had his words affected them any? The older woman took a moment to glance at her papers before asking something else. "Just out of curiosity... you said that you've been through… 'a lot.' Would any of that have to do with your current residence in the East Eleventh District?"

Ace briefly looked down before giving his earnest reply. "Yes ma'am."

"_Ugh_, I can only imagine what it must be like to live in a slum like that," the man with the beret chimed in suddenly. Ace threw him a non-threatening, but obviously annoyed expression as he continued. "At least it's nice to finally see someone from those parts who's actually willing to _work_ at making something of himself. I have to say... there are far too many of _you people_ in those _awful_ neighborhoods that just expect everything to be handed to them..."

That was it. Something had to be said.

"Well excuse me sir," Ace began sarcastically, "but I don't see how a person's work ethic has anything ta do with how much money they've got. I'm sorry dat some of _us people_ can't afford ta buy nice things like those fancy visors o' yers and can only settle for _real_ glasses... ya know, tha kind that _actually _help us see bettah..."

The man's expression instantly twisted into a scowl as he adjusted the aforementioned visors. "I'll have you know that these visors are _top_ _designer brand_ and are probably worth more money than you'll ever have in your life! But I guess a _street rabbit_ like you shouldn't be expected to know the _true_ value of things..!"

"No offense _sir_..." Ace replied heatedly, now clearly getting angry, "but I'm not a rabbit, I'm a _bunny!_ Maybe if you'd just pull yer head outta yer _ass_ for a few minutes, you'd a been able ta tell tha difference!"

It only took a second for Ace to realize what a bad idea it was to say something like that.

Each of the judges looked shocked to say the very least. The older man seemed to be looking at his fellow judges intently, waiting to see how his colleagues were going to react. The older woman was looking directly at Ace, eyes widened in a very questioning and almost scrupulous glance. The younger woman looked to be the most surprised at his outburst, but the fact that she was holding her hand over her mouth might have been more due to the fact that it almost looked like she was trying to stifle a laugh. The man with the beret looked at him with a face that looked like an explosive mix and outrage and bewilderment.

"_Why you __**arrogant little**_ -"

"Enough Steven," the older man instructed firmly, cutting him off. He turned to Ace, "I believe we're done here, Mr. Bunny. We'll give you a call sometime tonight to let you know of our decision."

Ace nodded, "th-thank you for yer time..." As he walked to the door, he tried his best to avoid further eye contact with any of the judges, as if that could convey his regret somehow. Whatever confidence he had garnered after his performance had just been ripped away and it was starting to make him feel sick. His audition had gone so well... and he just _had _to ruin it by opening his mouth like that. How could he have been so careless?

As the man with the clipboard escorted the crestfallen bunny out of the audition room, he made sure to offer a few consoling words once they were out of the judges' earshot.

"I just wanna say… that I'm _completely_ on your side with everything you said in there. That guy's a prick."

• • •

_"Now approaching… __**East Eleventh!**__ Next stop… East Thirteenth!"_

The automated female voice announced the train's current location as it slowly pulled into the station. Once it came to a stop, the doors rushed open to allow the usual influx of commuters to move in and out of the cart. But even for it being right in the midst of Rush Hour, the movement through the doors was minimal. They were programmed to stay open long enough to accommodate the large crowds that usually filled the train cars at some of the more populous areas of the city, but in these parts, traffic was low. Most people who were unfortunate enough to take the East-bound trains were smart enough to get off around the ninth district at the latest.

Ace didn't travel into the central part of Acmetropolis very often, so coming back from it now, it was quite apparent how much poorer and generally less maintained his home station felt compared to the ones uptown. Walking through the station, he noticed all the graffiti, the outdated utilities, and the occasional homeless person a lot more than he had that morning. They weren't the most pleasant sites, but they were very familiar ones around here.

Making his way out of the train station and into the world outside, the sky was the first thing to catch his attention. The sun was just beginning to set, and the late rays were bathing the sky in a warm, richly golden color. It was one of the few things he actually preferred in this part of the city over the grandeur of the nicer districts. With all the skyscrapers and billboards in Central Acmetropolis, he wondered how often those people could see a full, unobstructed sunset like this one.

It was a beautiful sight, but it also clued the bunny in that his time was running short. He still had a few things to do and he needed to be quick if he wanted to make it home before dark.

A few turns and a couple of blocks later, Ace reached a modestly decorated shop on a street corner called _Molly's Market_ and went inside. It was a quaint little grocery store that was probably only a little larger than your average convenience store. Regardless, he usually found the service to be quite nice and efficient, and the store itself seemed to have a little bit of everything. Seeing how it wasn't all that far from his own home, he ended up coming here quite often.

Knowing exactly where everything was, it only took him a few minutes to scan all the aisles and find everything he needed: spaghetti noodles… spaghetti sauce… garnish leaves… a head of lettuce… tomatoes… carrot sticks (ooh, half price!)… and salad dressing. Venturing away from the food aisles, he picked up a few extra things that were a little less typical: a small, white table cloth… a couple of clean, unscented candles… and a small bouquet of roses.

After making sure he hadn't forgotten anything, he brought his haul up to the store's only open register. The woman manning the checkout line was an older, somewhat stouter woman who, despite the friendly smile she typically wore, seemed to give off a fairly commanding presence. For him, this woman needed no introduction.

"Hey, how's it going, Ace?" she greeted warmly.

"I'm pretty good, Molly… can't really complain. How're things fer you?"

"Oh, you know… same old, same old… just trying to keep this old place from falling apart." They both shared a polite chuckle. "So what's with all this?" she questioned curiously while scanning his items. "You got a hot date tonight?"

Ace smiled secretively, "I _guess_ ya could say dat…"

"Well, you're certainly going all out on this one, aren't ya?"

Ace laughed at what she was clearly implying. "Maybe one o' these days, I'll be able ta afford something bettah…"

"Speaking of which, didn't you have some kind of _audition_ today?"

At the mention of it, Ace's heart sank a little after being reminded of what had happened just moments ago. Of course, for courtesy's sake, he kept the disappointment from showing too much on the surface. "Oh… ya heard about dat, huh?"

Molly gave him a look. "Oh come on Ace, you oughta know how fast news like that travels around this neighborhood. Tell me, what movie was it?"

"_Man-Babe 8_."

She whistled impressively, "Sounds like good money to me! How do you feel about it?"

"I don't know… ya know how tough it can be fer a new kid like me ta get into stuff like dat…"

"Well… _I _have faith in you. While you were working _here_, you were one of the best workers we could've asked for. I figure a guy like you wouldn't have left a job he was doing well at unless he _really_ had something to offer."

"Yeah, but tha movie business is a _little_ harder than bein' a bag boy. I can tell ya dat much…"

"You know, if I wasn't sure you'd turn me down, I'd easily offer you another temp job here at the store. But, I guess it's best that you're off to bigger and better things nowadays. You don't really belong in a place like this... especially after what happened last night..."

Ace was surprised that he didn't know what she was talking about. He usually kept up with what was going on around his neighborhood, particularly when it involved his old workplace.

"What do you mean?"

Molly gave a saddened sigh that Ace couldn't help but find troubling. "I guess you haven't heard... you remember Lacey, right?"

"Of course," Ace replied. Lacey started working at the store a full year before Ace had quit. She was roughly his same age, and while the two of them had worked together, they had gotten along just fine and became fast friends. Of course, now that Ace was busy devoting himself to a new line of work, they didn't get to see each other as often as they used to, but she would always seem to be working at the store when he stopped by, eager to catch up with an old friend.

Come to think of it, he found it odd that he hadn't seen her at all so far...

"Our store was robbed last night, Ace. Lacey was working a night shift when it happened."

Ace's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What? Are you serious?"

She nodded, "The punk came in with a mask and a gun around midnight just when she was about to close up. Apparently, there weren't any customers at the time, and since it was the end of the night, she was the only one working. He put the gun to her head and made off with everything in the register. By the time the police got here, he was already long gone."

"Dat's terrible..." Ace replied, still in a semi-state of shock. "What was she doin' workin' a night shift in tha first place? Don't ya usually get Frank ta close up?"

"Frank called in sick yesterday and nobody else could fill the spot. Lacey said she was looking to get some extra hours, so she decided to stick around past her usual shift and close everything up. It was only one night..."

"I can't imagine... is she okay?"

"Depends on what you mean by 'okay.' She wasn't hurt or anything - thank God - but she got shaken up pretty bad. Once the police called me and told me what happened, I rushed over here as quick as I could. When I found her, she seemed to be holding herself together pretty well while she was talking to the cops. But... once she saw _me_, she pretty much broke down in tears. I gave her some paid time off so she could have time to recover from all of this. It was the least we could do..."

"Poor Lacey..." he muttered sadly as their conversation hit a standstill, both of them becoming lost in their own thoughts. Crimes and burglaries weren't unusual in this side of town, and this actually wasn't the first time the store had been robbed. That wasn't anything that surprising. What really seemed to bother him was that someone like Lacey, one of the friendliest, most hard-working people he had ever had the privilege of working with, had to be the one subjected to something like that. It just didn't seem fair to him...

"Anyway," Molly resumed after a second or two, "that'll be $29.50."

Ace dug into his pockets and pulled out an even $25, placing it onto the counter. A little more digging, however, quickly tipped him off that he was short the rest of the money. What a disappointment... he was sure he had remembered to bring enough. He looked over his items carefully, trying to determine what among them was the least important. "Ya know, on second thought... I probably could make due with just _one_ o' those candles... and I'm sure I've got somethin' at home dat I can use as a tablecloth..."

He reached for the items with the intent of putting them back on the shelf, but the cashier quickly scooted them away into a shopping bag before he could grab them. "Don't worry about it, Ace. We'll take care of it."

"Oh... no," he began to protest, "I couldn't ask ya ta-"

"It's no trouble," she insisted. "Besides, I'm sure you can pay us back plenty when you get that _Hollywood_ paycheck..."

Considering that she had probably lost hundreds of dollars the night before, Ace wondered why she would still be willing to do something like that. It was only a few dollars, but it was still more than the usual pocket change. He wasn't the most comfortable with accepting the charity of others, but he did know one thing. If a poor merchant in the East Eleventh District was willing to extend a hand to help, it was usually best to save the stubborn pride.

He formed a small smile in resignation, "Eh... if ya say so. But once my new movie comes out, I'm payin' ya back... _double!_"

"That's what I like to hear," she replied with a small laugh as she handed him his bags.

"Thanks a lot, Miss Molly."

Her reply was surprisingly earnest, "You're a good kid, Ace. Take care of yourself out there, alright?"

There was a second of pause before he smiled back, "Don't ya worry about dat, ma'am. I'll be fine." As he took his bags and headed for the door, he remembered to add one last thing.

"Oh, and if I don't see her foist, tell Lacey I said 'hey.'"

"I will."

• • •

The slowly vanishing sunset was just starting to fill the sky with deep shades of orange and crimson, hinting that it would soon be covered up by the horizon. Having walked a few more blocks, Ace finally reached his home street and instinctively broke into a steady jog.

At the end of the street, he stopped in front of the modest, musky-brown building that was his apartment complex. It was only a few stories tall and not glamorous by any means, but it was the place he called home. As far as the notorious East Eleventh District was concerned, this was _technically_ in one of the safer areas. That alone didn't save it from things like crime and violence, but it became the haven for most well-meaning families and honest people who shared the misfortune of not being able to afford much better. He walked up the few steps that led to the front door and went inside.

There weren't any actual rooms on the first floor, which was instead a lobby area that held a few living/lounge areas along with a dining hall towards the back. Right now, there was a small gathering of people in the main lounge watching some kind of sports game, likely a Basherball game judging by the sounds. Normally, he would've joined them in simple attempt at socializing, but he had bigger plans tonight. Ace headed straight for the stairs to take him up to his room, but a familiar voice quickly caught him along the way.

"Ace Bunny... what's been keeping you?"

Turning around, he saw a woman walking towards him from the lobby area where everyone else had gathered. She had tanned skin and long black hair, decorated with a few braids. Her smaller body frame made her look fairly young, even though she was a few good years older than he was. In her arms, she carried her son - not even a year old - who was nursing away at a bottle of milk. This was the woman who owned the complex, Ace's landlord... err... land_-lady_.

"Evenin', Mrs. Valdez! How are ya?"

"What are you doing getting back so late?" she inquired, readily ignoring his casual greeting. "It's getting dark out there, and you know it ain't safe to be out in those streets at night! Didn't your mama ever teach you any better?"

Ace chuckled, "Calm down _Stephanie_, the sun's still out ya know. There are still kids playin' in tha street..."

"Well if _their_ mamas know what's good for 'em, they'll be bringing them inside any minute now. You're _usually_ home before we get the sunset, you know...

"But tha important thing is dat I'm here, right?" he jested.

She gave him an amused smile before walking back into the lobby she had come from, leaving Ace to his own business. For a landlady, she was actually quite a friendly person, often wanting to find ways to converse and interact with her tenants in an attempt to get to know them on a more personal level. It was probably why she was in the lobby now while the game was on. He found this also made her a more understanding person when it came to collecting rent, a quality that had admittedly saved his neck a few times before. Sure, she could come off as a bit firm or stubborn sometimes, but it mostly had to do with the no-nonsense attitude she had when it came to the more serious matters. He assumed it came from the fact that she was a young mother herself.

After making his way up two flights of stairs, Ace reached the third floor of the complex and walked down to a room at the end of the hallway... room 301. Unlocking the door, he walked inside and took a look around at the place he called home. It was a rather small, somewhat cramped living space, but it was enough for him to put his feet up every night.

Immediately walking in, the kitchen/dining area sat on the left side of the apartment. The typical kitchen appliances and cabinets were propped against two of the walls and the empty space it left was predominately taken up by a basic dining table. The dining area was connected to the living room on the apartment's right side which only featured a fabric sofa and a few recliners around a small coffee table seated in front of a television screen. Going ahead, straight from the doorway and between the two areas, there was a small hallway that ended with a bathroom and held two doors on either wall that led to two separate bedrooms.

Not wasting any time, Ace dropped his bags on the dining table and immediately started boiling a pot of water on the stove. He looked through his cabinets and his refrigerator and gathered everything he needed and placed them all out on the table. Preparing all this food and cleaning up the place was going to be quite the balancing act, especially with the amount of time he had to do it.

Ace gave his knuckles a good crack. It was time to work some magic.

• • •

He had only been twiddling his thumbs in the hallway for a few short minutes before his guest showed up. He had even brought out a folding chair and sat himself down in front of the door, prepared to wait for a considerable amount of time. Apparently, he had cut it closer than he thought.

The bunny at the end of the hallway was wearing a navy-blue jacket over a set of light purple-colored scrubs. Coming up from the stairs, her face seemed a bit preoccupied and more than a little tired, but her more serious disposition vanished quickly once she caught sight of what was waiting for her.

"Ace?" she inquired, "What are you doing out here?"

"Just waitin' on _you_…" he answered, getting up from his chair. He had just gotten comfortable…

"You couldn't wait inside?"

"I wanted ta catch ya out here foist," he explained. "Listen… ya remembah me sayin' dat I wanted ta take ya out somewhere nice tonight..?"

"_...And_ I told you not to worry about it since we don't have a lot of money right now," she finished for him.

"Well yeah, I know dat…" he acknowledged, "but then I started thinkin'. I figured dat if I couldn't _take_ ya to a fancy restaurant on a day like today… then I could at least _bring _one to ya!"

She gave him an odd sort of look, not quite sure of what to expect. "Here I'll show ya," he continued as he put his hand on the doorknob. "Let me be tha _foist_ ta welcome ya to… _La Casa di Bunny…_"

With his formal-sounding announcement, he opened the door to reveal the fruits of his labor waiting inside. Pamela gave a soft gasp as she took in what was there.

Even with all the lights dimmed, you could tell the place had been cleaned up quite a bit. The floor had been mopped, the furniture was dusted, and that pile of old dishes that was plaguing the sink had finally been taken care of. It certainly was a cleaner apartment than she had remembered it being that morning. In fact, she hadn't seen the place so cleaned up in a long time…

But of course, the real surprise was in the kitchen. The dinner table had been covered in a fine white tablecloth and a humble arrangement of roses sat in a clear glass vase as the centerpiece on top. On either side, there sat a simple white candle atop a small golden candlestick, its flame bathing the area in a soft, warming glow. He had even brought out their plates of fine china, items she was sure hadn't been touched in years. And all the while, the sounds of a soft classical violin – coming from a set of speakers she noticed on top of the counter – filled the apartment with a delicate ambiance.

Ace smiled, "Happy birthday, mom…"

"Ace…" she eventually managed to say, "you didn't have to do all this…"

"Nonsense," he dismissed while shutting the front door behind them. "Right this way, ma'am, I'll show ya to yer seat…" With exaggerated posturing, he walked over to one of the chairs at the end of the table and pulled it out for her.

"But I haven't gotten a chance to change yet…"

"Don't worry, yer fine just tha way ya are! Besides… I think tha salad's been sittin' out here for almost an hour now. We bettah go ahead and start eatin' it…"

Once she had taken her seat at the table, he pulled out a simple folded menu on a sheet of paper and handed it to her. "Here ya are, ma'am. We've got a _fine_ selection today."

On the front side, the words "_Casa di Bunny_" were printed in fancy script lettering. Opening it up, she almost laughed when she saw the only thing inside: "Spaghetti. Comes with bread and a salad."

"Well it's a tough call," she teased, "but I think I'll have to go with the spaghetti."

"Excellent choice… and what would ya like ta drink? I think we've got some tea… and… maybe some tap water..?"

"Tea is fine."

"Comin' right up!" he replied pleasantly before placing a fancy wine glass in front of her and filling it promptly. Immediately afterward, he picked up a basket covered in a white cloth and put it on the table as well. "Here's some bread ta start out with…"

"Mmm… it smells delicious…"

"They should _taste_ delicious too. I made 'em tha same way you usually do." As his mother tasted the rolls, Ace was hard at work putting together her salad. He had already mixed the vegetables together, so all he had to do was put it all onto a plate and add the dressing. Zesty Italian… her favorite.

Artfully, he picked up the plate and walked back to the table. "How's tha bread?"

"It's the _best_ batch you've ever made," she answered simply.

"Dat was my foist time…"

"I'm not lying, am I?"

Ace smiled, "Well here's yer salad, ma'am," he said while placing the dish in front of her. "Now it'll just be a few more minutes before tha main course…"

Ace went back to the stove with a satisfied grin on his face. So far, his dinner plans were going pretty well. It was nice to see his mother taking a moment to just relax and enjoy herself. She always seemed to have a lot on her mind as well as her schedule, so it was nice for them to have a change of pace. Taking care of dinner was the least he could do for her. They may not have been in the best financial situation, but that wasn't going to stop him from treating his mother to something special for her birthday.

Over the years, she had really done a lot for him, always being someone that he could rely on. No matter what troubles came his way, it seemed like she was always there, supporting him, encouraging him, and picking him up when he fell. What amazed him even more was that she had done it all completely on her own, after his father had abandoned the both of them when Ace was only four years old. To this day, neither of them had a reasonable explanation as to why he had done such a thing, but it didn't help nowadays to dwell on things that couldn't be changed.

Of course, things only seemed to complicate themselves further once his mother had her accident at the manufacturing plant. Several months of complicated surgeries, extended hospital stays and grueling rehabilitation sessions awaited her afterward, and Ace eventually came to realize the simple fact that she had managed to pull through it at all was a true testament to her strength... a strength he had seen all along, but never fully appreciated until then. Unfortunately, not everyone was so understanding. After only a few months of leave from her job, the same plant that was responsible for her injury in the first place had decided to let her go, leaving the two of them with a stack of hospital bills they suddenly couldn't pay for.

In the end, that was the main reason that the two of them were in this sort of situation now. Up until about a year after the incident, they had lived comfortably in the East Fifth District. But as the bills piled up, they just couldn't manage enough money to meet all their obligations, and an apartment in East Eleventh was the best they could afford. His mother even took a risk by using that opportunity to go back to school and eventually become a nurse. It left them with a student loan debt on top of their other bills, but at least it gave his mother a better-paying job. Ace, too, began to do what he could to help out. Even though school was over for him and he was old enough to live on his own, their collective financial situation kept them together, each pulling in whatever income they could to stay afloat. In the end, they fared better together than either of them would have on their own.

But even as demanding or unfortunate as their circumstances were, Ace really didn't mind living with his mother. Their suburban district may have been infamous for its crime, but they had done a good job so far of staying out of its way. They had managed to settle into a fairly decent area where most of the people were nice and often in similar circumstances. So long as one didn't go looking for trouble, or stay out past dark unattended, there wasn't all _that_ much to worry about.

Besides, his mother had done so much for him over the years. She was the one who had raised him all on her own and made sure that he made his way through school. She was the one who had encouraged him to take karate classes when he started displaying his interests at a young age. She was even the one who supported him most when he decided to follow his dream of trying to make it big in the movie business, even though the odds were stacked fiercely against him that he would ever make it anywhere.

As far as he was concerned, he was going to stand by his mom and help her for as long as it took for him to get them out of this mess and back on their feet.

He was going to get them out of there one day... that much he knew.

Ace topped off both plates of spaghetti with a fresh garnish leaf (for extra fanciness) and carried both dishes to the table. "Dinner is soived!"

"Wow, that certainly looks delicious!" she praised as the plate of steaming food was set down in front of her.

"Well let's hope so..." he jested while taking his own plate and sitting down directly across from her. "Now before we start eatin'," he said as he filled his own glass with tea, "I'd like ta propose a toast." He raised his glass into the air in front of him as Pam gave him a sort of questioning look.

"To tha _greatest_ mom a guy like me could ask for... happy birthday."

She immediately sent a smile towards the tabletop as if she was a bit embarrassed to see her son making such a big deal out of everything. But she eventually looked back up at her son with the kindest and most thankful of eyes before raising her own glass as well.

"And let's not forget to toast the _fine_ chef responsible for such a meal..." she added.

Accepting her response, the two of them clinked their glasses and took a drink. With the toast out of the way, Pam immediately started sifting through her main course, eager to see the extent of her son's cooking skills - and admittedly, how it compared to her own. After a good forkful, she found herself pleasantly surprised.

"Hey, this is actually pretty good. You've improved quite a bit since that _last _time you made spaghetti and you burned the sauce... somehow..." she teased.

Ace didn't readily acknowledge the joke, but instead kept his gaze firmly on the woman across from him. He had already made his toast, but he still felt like he had something else to add.

"Look... err... I know ya didn't ask fer anything..." he began, "and... I know things have been kinda tough fer us lately..."

Pam looked up from her plate.

"But... I just wanna say dat... I'm _sorry_ I couldn't get ya a_ real_ gift dis year..."

Pam smiled, "you know I'm not worried about things like that. You don't need to apologize for anything. I couldn't ask for a more perfect evening..."

Ace smiled politely back, "Yeah, but I _really_ wanted ta get ya somethin' special dis time around, ya know?" He paused. "Tell ya what... dis time next year, I'm gonna get ya a _real_ present for yer birthday."

"Ace..."

"I _promise_... a year from now, we'll be a lot better off and I'll actually be able ta afford ta go out and get ya somethin'. Ya can _count_ on dat..."

She looked like she was going to insist further, but eventually decided against it.

"I'm sure you will..." she eventually conceded with another smile.

Always the supportive one...

"Now, enough about that. I want to hear _all_ about that audition you had today..."

• • •

_"Oh Frederick... I couldn't __**bear**__ to live one more day without you. So __**please**__... stay with me tonight!"_

_"My dearest Laticia... surely you know that I love you more than anything else in the world... __**but**__, I must return home to the mother of my child... __**Penelope!**__"_

_"__**Penelope?**__ But... I don't understand... she's your __**sister!**__ And she's been dead for __**years**__... she died of a broken heart after my father-in-law left her at the altar..."_

_"That's exactly what we __**wanted**__ you to think...!"_

"Who _writes_ dis garbage?"

Ace sat in the recliner with his arms folded in a mock smugness. He and his mother, having already finished their meal, were now sitting down to a quiet evening of television. If he hadn't found what they were watching so unintentionally hilarious, he might've actually been kind of annoyed with what his mother had settled on.

"Quiet down, Ace," Pam hushed, "he's about to explain himself..."

"I just don't understand how ya can watch crap like dis," Ace ranted on. "It's like tha writers just wrote down what a little goil said while she was playin' _House_ with her dolls."

_"Fine, if __**that's**__ the way it is..."_ the woman on-screen cried out, _"I'll just go and __**kill myself!**__ I can't go on living knowing you're in the arms of another woman!"_

"A very emotionally _distoibed_ little goil, dat is..." Ace clarified.

Pam sighed, "I'll admit... the writing really went downhill once they revealed that half the town was actually part of an undercover alien race. I'm mostly just watching now to find out what happens between the maid and that _handsome_ doctor of hers..."

"Well, once dis is over, _I_ get ta decide what we -" Before he could finish, a loud ringtone startled the two of them. It took a second for Ace to realize that the noise was coming from his pocket. With some clear anticipation, he pulled out the phone to see who it was, his eyes growing wide when he recognized the caller ID.

_Acme Films Inc._

Ace turned the surprised and fateful expression on his face to his mother who instantly read his emotions. With a quick gesture of her hands, she shooed her son out of the room, snapping him back into focus as he practically leapt from his chair and took the phone into his room.

As he walked, he stared at his phone for a good while, not being able to bring himself to answer it until he was sitting at the foot of his bed. With a deep breath, he pressed the button to take the call.

"H-hello...?"

"Hello," a female voice answered, "may I speak to Ace Bunny?"

"Dis is him."

"Oh good... my name is Amy. I never told you my name, but I was one of the judges from your audition today. How are you this evening?"

Judging by the infliction in her voice, he assumed this was the younger woman with the red highlight in her hair. "I'm doin' alright... how about you?"

"I'm doing great, thanks for asking! So listen... we said that we were going to notify you of our decision once we came to one. So, I'm just calling to let you know that after some _careful_ deliberation..."

She must have paused for a second because the fleeting passage of time that followed felt like the longest second of his life. He was sure he had stopped breathing...

"...we've decided... to cast _you_ for the role."

The answer didn't seem to register with him right away. "I-I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said we've decided to give you the stunt double position. Congratulations!"

Ace could hardly believe what he was hearing. There had to be some kind of mistake. "R-really...?"

She laughed, "Of course! It took some arguing, but we felt like you were the best person for the job. That is... if you still want it..."

"Y-yes, of course I do! Thank you so much..."

"You're very welcome! You did deserve that part by the way, that was an _excellent_ audition if I do say so myself."

Though the result itself was finally beginning to register, he was still in the process of wrapping his head around it. "Thanks... but how? I mean, I really thought I screwed it up at tha end when... ya know..."

"Yeah well... there were definitely some arguments against you... _that_ being one of the stronger ones. _Some _of us made that argument more than others, if you get what I mean. The issue of having an _anthro_ actor double for a _human_ role was also made... but in the end, we couldn't deny your clear skill level. We're on a filming deadline after all, and we couldn't afford to spend too much training a new recruit to meet the full requirements for the part. Simply put, you were the best one. We would have been crazy _not_ to choose you."

The gratitude in him was beginning to overflow, each word she said practically driving the reality of it all deeper and deeper. He had _actually_ pulled it off, hadn't he? "I-I don't know what ta say... ya don't know how much this means ta me..."

Amy gave a kind of sympathetic chuckle, "Well, filming starts bright and early tomorrow morning at seven sharp. We'll need to see you an hour earlier though to get you ready. Can we count on you to be back here at six tomorrow morning?"

"Absolutely...!"

"Great, then we'll see you then! You have a nice night and congratulations once again!"

"Thanks... you too..."

With the click of a button, Ace put the phone down to his lap, though he didn't let it go of it right away, keeping it in his hand as if it were a way to stay in the moment for as long as he could. Looking up, he noticed his mom standing in the doorway, mirroring the same hopeful and thankful expression he must have had on his own face.

No doubt she already knew what the news was.

Ace immediately got up from his seat on the bed and wrapped her up in the biggest hug he had given _anyone_ in a long time...

* * *

><p><strong>Well that was it. What did you think of Ace so far?<strong>

**Coming up in the next part, we'll get to see what Ace's first day on a big-name movie set is like. Will it be everything he dreamed? We'll also see what kind of challenges/opportunities await our hero when fate sends a comet his direction!**

**Alright, for the next parts... here's what I have in mind. I had originally wanted to write the chapters far enough in advance so that I could release all three parts in about 12-day period (4 days between each part), but I'm actually pretty behind. I AM pretty far into the next part, but I still have a ways to go. But here's what I'm thinking. I can have Part Two published somewhere around 5 - 7 days from today and Part Three published somewhere around 5 - 7 days from THAT date. Which means Part Two will be up sometime between March 6th - 8th and Part Three will be up sometime between March 11th - March 15th. It'll keep me pretty busy, but I feel REALLY confident that I can make these deadlines. I'm on spring break starting on the 9th and I'm lucky enough to not have any major tests or assignments until after the break.**

**If you're ever curious as to how my progress is going, feel free to check my profile for any news and/or reasons for delays. I update it pretty frequently, so... let's just hope that any delays are only for a day or two at most. I know I'm bad with deadlines, but I really am confident about this. Fingers crossed!**

**Anyway, that's all I have for now. Please review if you have the chance, as I REALLY appreciate any sort of feedback. Since the next part will be coming out soon, I might actually respond to some of your reviews in the next author's note, so if you have questions, feel free to ask! I've also noticed that it looks like a number of new people have come to this site while I've been gone. Here's hoping I get some new fans! **

**Thanks for reading guys, and I will see you all real soon! :)**


	7. The Stuntman (pt 2)

**Yeah, I missed the mark on my deadline. I said I was gonna have this chapter up within 6 to 8 days after the first chapter was up, but it looks like that turned into 20 days. I would say that I'm sorry (believe me, I am) but I'm honestly more impressed that I actually managed to write this entire chapter almost from scratch over a total of about 3 weeks. I was barely even slacking, either. Over the past week, I've been using almost every SHRED of free time I had at my disposal to write. Juggling that with homework, and studying for tests coming up, I had to pull almost TWO all-nighters (I couldn't get through the second one :p) But fortunately, the chapter's finally done now and I'm happy with it, so no real harm done...**

**Anyway, this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I imagined. I pictured it being not much longer than the last chapter if it was any longer at all, but I guess I proved myself wrong. I have to say, there's A LOT of important stuff that goes on in this chapter, and it forced me to take my time while writing it so I could make sure I did it right. Yeah, it's long, but it covers a lot of different things, so hopefully it won't drag too much. That said, I still think its a really good chapter. You'll get to see what Ace's first day on the set is like and the complete origin of his powers! Also, you'll get to read my first attempts at FIGHT SCENES! :D **

**But I have to admit, I WAS in a hurry to get this out, so if it starts feeling rushed at the end, that's probably why...**

**Also, for my own personal reference, I have drawn out a map of what Acmetropolis looks like in the context of my story. I didn't really need to, but knowing where everything is will really help me with visualization and keep me from making continuity issues. If you're curious to see it for yourself, here's the link: art/Map-of-Acmetropolis-TCC-R-360169022?q=gallery%3Aiwolf208&qo=0. I just set up a deviantart account, and I plan to be putting a lot of stuff up there in the future. ;)**

**Finally, before we start, I want to thank Candlestic and BALTO1 for their reviews on my last chapter! I had honestly expected more reviews considering how much time I had spent writing that chapter, but your kind words did help motivate me to write this as good as I possibly could! So thanks :) Also, I wanna thank JunjouRomanticafortheWinxoxo for favoriting and following my story and also leaving some awesome reviews for my older chapters. I'm glad you like my story, and I hope I don't disappoint you!**

**Why are my author's notes always so long? :( Let's just get started already. Without further ado, let's dive even further into the rich history that is Ace's story... ...**

**THE DISCLAIMER FROM THE LAST CHAPTER STILL APPLIES!**

* * *

><p><em>"Falling, in a confusion<em>

_For their illusion_

_Nothing but circles now_

_Crawling, feel like they own you_

_Do what they told you_

_Feel yourself get up, get out_

_Break_

_Out of the circles now..."_

- _"Circles"_ by Cavo

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 7 – The Stuntman (pt. 2)<strong>

• **Time – 5:32 a.m.**

• **Date – March 19, 2772**

The metamorphosis of the city on the other side of the train window somehow seemed even less real than it had yesterday.

The darkness that still lingered during such an early hour made it difficult for him to see everything clearly, but that soft glow that always seems to fill the air in the hours before a sunrise did give him some visibility. As the train car advanced further and further away from the East districts and closer to the downtown metropolitan area, he watched as buildings morphed from simple structures of rustic steel into tall metallic skyscrapers. Trees and brushes seemed to disappear as the increasing number of lights on streets and business displays illuminated the city in a technological glow. It was truly another way of life here in Central Acmetropolis, wasn't it?

It was about a thirty minute train ride from his home station to Central, and it had forced Ace to get up even earlier than he was used to. Yet, despite his persistent yawning from a restless and short night of sleep, he found it hard to use his time on the train to rest any further. Instead, he spent the entire time staring reflectively at the world outside his window with growing anticipation, one that he wouldn't be pulled from until the train reached its final stop.

_"Now approaching…_ _**Central Acmetropolis… Grand Railway Plaza! **__Next stop… __**East Central Station!"**_

Making his way out of the train cart, Ace couldn't shake the feeling that the automated train voice seemed… different somehow. Of course, he knew it was the same exact voice the rail system had used for years, but it still seemed a bit peculiar to him. It almost felt like its tone had become more… _cheerful_ when announcing this particular stop compared to the others, as if the train itself was somehow happier in the inner city as opposed to the outlying areas.

It was probably just his imagination…

Despite the fact that the sun hadn't even come up yet, the Grand Railway Plaza was surprisingly busy. It wasn't quite as bustling and crowded as it was destined to be in just a few hours, but there was still plenty of activity to be seen. Every train, bus, or monorail cart that transported people throughout the Central Acmetropolis area had it originating stop at this station complex. Even the railways that carried people into the outer West, South, and East Acmetropolis regions made a stop here. Consequentially, to say that the Plaza was immense would actually be an understatement. In a lot of ways, it better resembled a small airport than it did a train station.

For Ace, the journey to Acme Films Inc. was fairly time-consuming. Of all the areas surrounding Central Acmetropolis – North, South, East, and West – East Acmetropolis was the most expansive (unless you counted all the countryside and desert areas in the South.) Four rail lines connected the East's fifteen total districts which all converged at the Eastern Train Station in the First District. Ace's train route started at the Thirteenth District before moving into the Eleventh, the Ninth, and finally the First, a trip that would cost him fifteen minutes from his stop. From the East Station, the four lines collectively crossed the East-Central border and arrived at the East Central Station in just five more minutes. Another ten minute ride and the lines would arrive at their final stop in the Grand Railway Plaza in Downtown Central before they would eventually turn back around to the districts.

After a bit of searching, Ace managed to catch a bus route that would take him right through the production studios where Acme Films was located. The ride itself added another fifteen minutes to his trip before it finally dropped him off right at the studio's main entrance.

He walked up to the main security gate where a security guard waited inside a booth, allowing only people with the right credentials to pass through. After a quick explanation of what his business was, he was instructed to wait for a few minutes outside while he paged for someone to come and get him.

Feeling a cool breeze come his way, he breathed into his hands before placing them into his pockets, hunching into his jacket and backpack in a small effort to keep warm. It may have been the middle of March, but the mornings could still be quite brisk, especially if you were outside before the sun was even up. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long before he saw a woman emerge from one of the buildings inside and walk up to the gate where he stood.

"Hi Ace, how are you this morning?" she greeted with a smile. The red highlight in her hair made her instantly recognizable.

"Hi… err… _Amy_, was it?"

"That's me. I'm the personal assistant to the director and my first job today is to show you around. How do you feel about your first day?"

Ace rubbed the back of his neck. "It all still seems so crazy to me… I'm kinda nervous ta be honest…"

"Don't worry, it's perfectly natural to have some anxiety. Just so you know, if you ever have any questions or concerns or anything like that today, feel free to come to me. I'll be more than happy to help you out in any way that I can."

"Thanks…"

"No problem! Now if you'll just follow me… we'll start by taking you by the set."

With the push of a button, the gate that separated them slid open and Ace proceeded to follow the woman into the grounds. The two of them walked down a series of roads and walkways that ran between and connected all sorts of buildings that ranged from warehouses to trailers and office buildings to towers. Amy was practically taking him on a tour, pointing out what most of the buildings were used for, but Ace was only half-listening. He had never stepped foot inside the grounds of a major productions studio like this one before. The size and complexity of it all was almost surreal.

After a few minutes, they reached a large warehouse-type building where Amy claimed the set was located. She led him through a small door that fed into a small hallway before arriving at an immense indoor filming set. Taking a look around, it had pretty much everything he ever imagined a set would have. People were walking around with headsets and clipboards and various crew members were working with cameras, lights, and boom microphones, trying to get them set up properly. To the side, there was a long white snack table that displayed all sorts of simple, yet delicious-looking breakfast items. Props were being stored at all sorts of random locations and a number of different "environments" had been constructed where certain scenes could be filmed. He could even make out what looked like a large green screen propped onto a wall at the other end of the warehouse.

After giving the new guy a second to absorb the sights around him, Amy started walking again, leading him to a more specific location. As the two of them walked, it seemed like almost every pair of eyes in the room fell upon the new recruit, looking him over curiously and likely trying to decide how they felt about him. Some of the looks were definitely more disparaging than others, but that honestly didn't surprise him much. Even he was still a bit unsure of how wise a business decision it was to hire an anthro stuntman to double for a human role, the lead role no less.

Thankfully though, the reaction from the cast and crew wasn't completely discouraging. Aside from a majority of curious stares, there were many who instead offered a smile or a casual nod in acknowledgement of his arrival. A fair number of others approached him directly to offer a hand shake or a formal introduction. A couple of those even gave him praises for work they had apparently seen him do in another film. Ace made sure to remember who _these_ people were in particular, as they'd likely be the more reliable people to count on if he ever found himself in some kind of bind.

"Well... I suppose the first thing I should do is take you to meet the director..." Amy said after a moment in explanation of where they were going, though her voice seemed rather unenthusiastic. Ace would soon find out why. The two of them walked back to the area of the studio where the green screen had been set up and a man was looking over some papers, sitting in the iconic director's chair. He must have heard them coming, as he stood up to greet them once they had arrived. Ace's stomach fell as he recognized him right away with that all-too-familiar scowl on his face.

It was the judge he had gotten into an argument with the day before, the man in the red beret.

"Ace..." she began, a bit awkwardly, "I'm sure you remember him from yesterday. This is Steven, our film director..."

"I keep telling you people, it's pronounced _Stephan! _It's European if you _must_ know..." he answered her impatiently with an annoyed groan. He was clearly not in the brightest of moods.

Ace couldn't bring himself to extend any sort of verbal introduction, though he did hold out his hand limply to initiate a handshake. The director simply stared at the appendage strangely for a second before turning his scrutinizing gaze onto the bunny himself. Never before had Ace felt such a strange mix of resentment and worry. Just as he had begun to get over his nerves, seeing his face again had melted his spirit into a pool of anxiety. If he had known how important this guy was from the beginning, he would've made more of an effort to restrain himself at the audition. But this was the die that fate had cast, and neither of them looked to be too happy about it.

"I _trust_ that we won't be having another... _incident_ today, will we?" he questioned condescendingly, knowing that he was in a clearer position of power this time around. Ace alleviated some of his nerves by entertaining the idea of punching him in the face.

"Not at all, sir. It's strictly professional from here on out," he answered confidently. He still had his hand extended in hopes that the director would eventually accept it, but all he could get from him was an icy stare. "And may I say..." he continued, this time attempting a more apologetic approach, "I think we might've gotten off on tha wrong foot yesterday. I kinda lost my temper and let my emotions get tha best o' me, and I'm sorry. So whaddya say we start over, eh doc?"

Ace straightened up his arm a little more, but none of his actions seemed to be helping the situation much. The director still refused to acknowledge him any further and instead turned to his assistant. "Amy, we start our first round of green screen shooting in thirty minutes, so I expect my coffee by then. You know how I like it..."

With that, the man turned away from them and walked towards some cameramen to apparently discuss other, more important matters. The two of them exchanged looks before Amy decided to lead him somewhere else.

"He seems nice..." Ace commented.

•

After taking the new cast member on a very brief tour through all the various sets and the more important office buildings, they had finally come to a large building about four stories tall that was supposedly reserved for the men and women in stunt roles along with their many stunt coordinators. Aside from the dressing rooms, it also held a number of gymnasiums and training rooms where the actors could work on techniques or rehearse scenes. Amy had immediately taken him up to the top floor where they stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall.

"...And this last room here is your _official_ dressing room!"

It was a pristine white door adorned with the words "DRESSING ROOM" painted in black letters across the front. Underneath those letters, rested a shiny golden name plate that had his name engraved on it, indicating that this did indeed belong to him. Amy had stepped aside to let him enter the room first, but Ace didn't open the door right away, instead spending a few seconds looking over the name plate with wonder. He couldn't help but touch it too, as if he were making sure it was actually real.

When he eventually managed to open the door, he found himself equally as captivated by what awaited him inside. It was just the way he had always pictured it. A large countertop extended the full length of one of the walls with a comfortable looking arm chair sitting in front. The mirror above the counter was large enough to take up the rest of the wall space. Behind that whole setup, sat more typical things like a television screen, a couple of sofas around a coffee table, and a number of potted trees for decoration. A large window was positioned on the same wall the television was propped against, offering him a fair view of the studio grounds outside. In one of the corners, there even stood a large wardrobe that would soon hold all the costumes and clothes he needed for the film.

"Wow..." Ace reacted softly.

"You think you'll be comfortable enough in here?" she asked him.

"Oh yeah... definitely..."

She laughed in response, "Glad to hear it! Now, let me give you a quick rundown of your schedule before I get going..."

Ace set his backpack down on the sofa and immediately walked over to the window, gazing out dreamily at the daybreak scenery while Amy continued. "At about 7:00, you'll have your first meeting with your stylist/makeup artist who's going to get some measurements from you for your wardrobe. At 7:30, you need to be downstairs at Gymnasium C to meet with your stunt coordinator so you can go over some of the scenes you'll be filming today. If you have time, you'll also get a chance to rehearse a few of them fully with some of the other stuntmen. At around 9:30, you'll be sent back here where you'll meet again with your stylist who'll hopefully have everything ready to start getting you into your Man-Babe costume. I've left your script on the countertop over here, and I suggest you start looking it over now. You don't have to read all of it, but I highlighted all of the parts you're involved in, so at least get familiar with those. We'll start filming our first scenes with you at around 10:15, so make sure you're back down at the set at least ten or fifteen minutes before that. You have any questions?"

"It sounds like I've got a pretty busy day ahead of me, huh?" he replied casually.

She smiled. "Believe me, it's only going to get busier from now on..."

"Well, I appreciate you helping me out so far, Amy," he said, finally turning away from the window.

"No problem, Ace. Anyway, I better get back to the set... _Stephan_ will be pretty upset if I'm not there on time with his coffee. I'll see you later, okay?"

With their parting words, she closed the door behind her, leaving Ace alone in his room. Leaning against the windowsill, he looked over everything again in awe before remembering her words of instruction. Ace walked over to the counter and picked up the thick booklet of papers that was his script before sitting down in his armchair.

The cover of it read "_The Adventures of Man-Babe 8: Menace from the Shadows_ - Stunt Version." Flipping through the pages, he found a good number of scenes that were covered with pink highlights. Choosing a few of them at random and giving them a closer read, he found that they detailed every main action scene in the movie in full detail, with every hit, dodge, and gymnastic stunt choreographed out with precise description.

He looked up from his script for a moment and looked at himself in the mirror. With the reflective silence in the background, the reality seemed to hit him all at once. This was _his_ script. This was _his_ dressing room. This was _his _part... _his_ movie.

This was really _his chance..._

The moment he had always been chasing after was finally here, right in front of him, and Heaven knew how much he had riding on it.

Once he had looked into his own eyes long enough to find that determination he knew he was going to have to rely on, he gave himself a small reassuring smirk and opened his script up to the first page.

• • •

The front door opened with a click to reveal an unfurnished but well kept apartment.

"Go on in, you'll be safe here, Natasha..." a muscular man with a clean-shaven head assured.

"Thank you so much, Man-Babe..." the shapely blonde woman beside him answered shyly, clutching her arms nervously. She made her way straight to the couch and sat down as Man-Babe quickly closed the door behind her. He then decided to peek through the blinds of his window, taking a good look around. "Do you see anything?" she questioned.

"I don't think so," he answered confidently. "I'm sure we lost them."

"How can you be so sure? They've been following me all day... no matter where I go they always seem to find me..."

"I told you... you've got nothing to worry about as long as I'm around. Besides, they'll never find us here..."

Not even a second later, a man dressed in an all-black ninja suit appeared at the other side of the apartment. Natasha screamed, causing Man-Babe to turn around quickly and identify the intruder.

He grunted under his breath. "How did those bastards know where I live?"

Seemingly out of nowhere, two more ninjas appeared behind the first one, and the three of them together started to slowly creep forward.

"Natasha, stay back! It looks like things are gonna get messy around here..!"

The girl sprang from her seat and fled to another corner of the room where she waited helplessly as the ninja continued closing in. After a few seconds of intense eye confrontation, the lead ninja sprang forward to attack Man-Babe.

"Aaand... CUT!" the director yelled out, making the actors freeze in mid-action. "Brilliant, brilliant!" he gushed. "It looks like we won't need a second take after all! You can go back on break now, Man-Babe. We'll call you back when we need you."

All the actors on set took the opportunity to relax themselves for a second. With a small exhale, the star stretched out his arms some and walked off the set.

"Let's get our stuntman out here!" he directed loudly, practically tossing aside whatever enthusiasm that last take had left him with.

Ace was standing a few feet away from the set, just out of the director's sight. In his hands, he was clutching a large, rubber mask that was supposed to fit snugly around his whole head and complete his Man-Babe transformation. He was already wearing the appropriate clothes: dark blue jeans and a denim jacket-vest over a long-sleeve maroon shirt.

The moment had finally come. It was time for him to give it everything he had and to prove to both himself and everyone else that he belonged here. He took a deep breath to clear away whatever nerves he might have had left before walking onto the set.

"I'm right here, sir," he revealed.

The director looked him over oddly before addressing him. "I'm sure you've had plenty of time to go over this scene already..." Ace nodded. "Good, because we don't have time to explain anything. Now, hurry and get to your spot... and put that mask on!"

"Yes sir," he responded dutifully. He hadn't counted on _Stephan_ to be in a good mood while they were filming, considering how their introductions had gone, but he hoped it wouldn't stay that way. Perhaps if he performed well enough in front of the cameras, he would lighten up a bit.

He gave the mask a good stretch before pulling it over his head. Make-up artists and costume designers had really come a long way over the years. Not only did the texture of the mask look like it might have actually been made from real human skin, but it was constructed from a material that could form almost seamlessly to the shape of his face. It had taken some extra time for them to measure out a size that could conceal his ears entirely without being uncomfortable, and they needed to adjust the material somewhat so it wouldn't mess with his fur, but the final product was truly a testament to modern movie technology.

Cautiously, he walked up to the same spot that Man-Babe had been standing in earlier and assumed his starting stance as the "ninjas" did the same. While the crew was still resetting, he went over the action sequence in his mind for about the hundredth time. As he would usually do before his own sparring matches, he took a few meditative breaths to clear his head and relax his emotions. Not counting the audition, this was his first shot at making a good impression. As long as he did things exactly the way they had gone in rehearsal, everything would be just fine...

"Scene 37... Take 1... and... ACTION!"

Continuing right where he had left off before, the lead ninja lunged forward with a striking punch aimed high for his face. Quickly, Ace grabbed the oncoming fist with his left hand, placed his right hand on the man's chest and positioned himself to flip the guy over his head and onto the ground behind him. The two other ninjas rushed in after him to initiate the full-on fight sequence.

Ace gave himself a mental prompt of everything as it happened so he would know exactly what to do. Hit the left ninja in the gut. He reels backward. Block the next three punches from the ninja on the right. Give him an uppercut. Grab his arm and throw him over your shoulder. Side-step out of the way of the first ninja when he charges at you. Give him a spinning kick to his side. He lands on top of the left ninja from before who was just about to get up. Land flat on your back when the right ninja (still on the ground) sweeps his legs at your feet. He gets up and pulls out a short sword. Roll to the side when he tries to stab you with it. Spring backwards with a flip to get back on your feet with style. Face the ninja who attacked you as he readies his weapon. Look over to the corner of the room. There's an umbrella and a metal curtain rod leaning against the wall. Grab the curtain rod. Jab the rod at him a few times and then swipe it horizontally. He dodges them all. He grabs the rod and tries to wrestle it out...

"Cut, cut, CUT!"

The outburst had honestly taken him by surprise. From what he could tell, things were going pretty well so far. Nonetheless, he and the other actors on set turned their full attention to the director who appeared visibly frustrated.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked simply.

Ace didn't know how to answer. "Err... whaddya mean?"

He sighed. "There's a _reason_ that umbrella is over there, you know. It says specifically in the script that Man-Babe fights off the three ninjas with an _umbrella_..."

"Oh _dat..._" Ace began, while rubbing one of his arms. "Well, ya see... while we were rehearsing this scene earlier... me an' Jeremy here..."

"Hey," the opposing ninja broke in with a small wave to identify himself.

"...were thinkin' dat... it didn't really make a whole lotta sense..."

"You didn't think it made a lot of sense?" the director repeated in a condescending tone.

"Yeah..." he continued in an effort to explain himself. "I mean, I know he's _Man-Babe_ an' all, but tha guy pulled out a _sword!_ If anybody else were in dat same circumstance and had ta choose between a curtain rod and an umbrella... they would at least _try_ ta use that rod foist..."

"Yeah," Jeremy added in support, "we figured we could just use the rod for a second before I would take it from him and break it anyway. Then he would _have_ to use the umbrella."

"We're not really _changing_ anything," Ace concluded, "we just kinda... _added_ somethin'. If anything, it just makes the fight look a little more dramatic..."

The director didn't look at all swayed. "And you thought you could just _add_ whatever you wanted into the scene, just like that?"

The two stuntmen looked at each other. "Tha stunt coordinator said it was okay," Ace proposed. "We thought he told ya about it..."

The director sighed. "I know it's your first day on the set, Ace... but we're shooting a _Man-Babe_ movie here. When people come to see these movies, they don't expect things like _logic_ or _reason_. They want to see explosions, snappy one-liners, and crazy action sequences! So if the script says that Man-Babe beats up the three ninjas with only an umbrella, then that's _exactly_ what he's going to do!"

Ace attempted to justify his reasoning a bit further, "I know. He's still gonna do that, but-"

"No exceptions! Now start the scene over... from the top!"

As much as Ace resented the director's superior sounding tone, he decided it best to drop his suggestion. He _was_ the director after all, so he gets the final say on how he wants the film to be. Resigning, he put the curtain rod back against the wall and went back to his original spot along with the other actors.

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders, "_I_ thought it was a good idea..."

"Scene 37... Take 2... and... ACTION!"

• • •

Man-Babe walked into the center of the old, shady warehouse. A single flickering light illuminated a small spot on the center of the floor, but the rest of the area was completely concealed by darkness.

"Alright guys, I know you're in here," he announced. "Come on out!"

Answering his call, as many as ten to twenty men in black bandanas and biker jackets emerged from the shadows, encircling him.

"So..." one of them spoke up while tapping a crowbar into his palm, "you found out about our secret hideout, did ya?"

"Where's Timmy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about!" he yelled back. "The senator's son, the one you kidnapped after robbing that mall. Where is he?!"

The gang leader laughed, "Oh _that_ Timmy... don't worry, he's safe. But we're not handin' him over until we get that ransom money..."

"Not if _I_ have anything to say about it..." Man-Babe readied his fists.

"Oh, you're gonna regret that, tough guy. Let's get him, fellas!"

Off his cue, each of them pulled out a different weapon ranging from knives, to metal pipes, to nunchucks. Three of the men in particular lunged forward into the center of the circle to attack Man-Babe all at once.

"And... CUT!" the director timely yelled just as the fighting was about to begin. "Great, _great_ job once again, Man-Babe," he praised as he got up from his chair. "I could just _feel_ the tension in the room. Tell you what, why don't you go ahead and take your lunch break early today? We'll see you back on the set in a little while..."

Once his star actor had left the vicinity, his mood once again darkened. "Alright people, we're running short on time here, so we need to get this fight scene going! Let's get our stuntman out-"

Before he could technically finish his order, he turned around to see Ace already on the set, fully costumed and ready to go. "All set, doc!" he informed contentedly with a casual thumbs up. For the past few takes - after their first altercation - he had really been trying to stay on the director's good side by doing everything that was asked of him with as little delay as possible. He may not have liked him very much on a personal level, but he figured it would be better for everyone if he kept him from getting any angrier.

The director just looked at him for a second, as if he was trying to think of something he could critique. "Well, at least you're paying attention..."

"Absolutely, doc. I'm ready ta go when you are!"

"For the record... don't call me 'doc.' You can call me 'sir' or 'boss' like everyone else..."

"What about _Stephan?_"

His stare remained rigid and cold. "_'Sir'_ is fine."

Accepting that his attempt to lighten the mood had misfired (not surprisingly), he walked over to his starting spot as the director walked back to his chair. "Okay everyone," he yelled out, "let's get these cameras rolling! Scene 136... Take 1... and... ACTION!"

Just moments after Ace had assumed his starting stance, the three gang members from before resumed their attack and the stuntman's mind snapped itself back into action mode, once again listing out every action methodically as it was supposed to happen. The gangster in front of you approaches first. Block his first punch with your right hand. Punch him in the face with your left. Snap your left arm up and back quickly to punch the gangster behind you without turning around. The gangster beside you is swinging a lead pipe wildly. Grab onto the weapon and use it as leverage to give him a kick in the stomach. Take the pipe away as he falls. Twirl it around a few times for show.

Four more gangsters rush in. One gangster swings an axe at you. Dodge his swing with a spin that places you behind him. Karate chop him in the back of the neck. Engage a second gangster in a short sword fight using the pipe. Wait until there's an opening. Swing the pipe at his knee, crippling his leg. Kick him in the gut and knock him into the path of the third gangster. Throw the pipe at the fourth gangster's head, knocking him out cold. A fifth gangster runs up. Block his first two punches. He blocks two of yours. Endure a punch at your chest. Swipe your legs at his feet to trip him. Grab his arm as he falls. Swing him into two gangsters standing on the side. Four more gangsters form a circle around you. There's no way out. See an opening in front of you...

Uh-oh...

Ace hesitated as he realized that he had run into a problem. The script called for him to run up and slide underneath the gangster in front of him, between his legs. But he knew right away that a stunt like that wasn't going to work this time around. They hadn't rehearsed the scene as a group before this, and the man who happened to be standing in front of him was an unfortunate combination of short, round, and stubby. Consequentially, the hole that he was expected to slide through was neither high nor wide enough for him to clear cleanly.

So then what was he supposed to do? No doubt the director was expecting him to follow the script, which called for a cool-looking slide that led into an attack from behind. The last time he had made an attempt at creative liberty, he had been swiftly shot down. But surely this time had to be different, right? It wasn't like he _wanted_ to change things up, the circumstances left him no other option...

Still, he figured that if he _had_ to go against what was written, he could at least replace it with something that could look equally as cool.

He looked around him and ran through a number of possibilities before eventually noticing a low-hanging metal bar that was part of the genuine warehouse set design. He jumped upwards as high as he could and latched onto the bar with both hands. In the same swift motion, he swung forward and launched himself over the man's head. Once he was successfully behind him, still in mid-air, he spun his body around, placed his foot on the gangster's back, and shoved him with enough force to knock him forward a few feet.

Feeling successful about his attempt, he allowed himself a prideful smirk as he landed on all fours back on the ground. To be honest, he probably couldn't have pulled that off so well again if he tried and picking up on a few impressed noises from some of the crew members, he knew that it likely _looked_ as good as he had hoped. Surely, that was a good enough substitute for the sliding maneuver...

_"Cut! CUUT!"_

Of course, he had been wrong before...

"What was _that _all about?" the director cried out, as if he had done something offensive.

"You didn't think dat was cool?"

"Cool or not, it wasn't in the script! We've been over this before..."

"Hold on a second," the bunny began in an attempt to calm him down. "I know ya don't like it when I try ta mix things up, but I didn't have a choice this time. Dat guy's legs didn't leave me a lot o' room ta squeeze through."

He turned to the guy he was talking about. "No offense."

"None taken," he answered simply.

"I woulda nevah made it, so I just tried somethin' else," he continued. "Besides, I still pushed him back inta tha circle like tha script says. I can continue on with tha scene just fine..."

"You still don't understand, do ya rabbit? The script is there for a reason... to tell people like you _exactly_ what they need to be doing! Either way, _I_ am the director, so _I_ get the final say on what goes into the movie... and I say this scene can't be done without that slide! Places, people!"

"Well, could you at least put someone else-?"

"_I said,_ _**places people!**_" he interrupted forcefully. Ace was almost amazed by how bull-headed he was. As much as the idea concerned him, it didn't look like he was left with any other viable option. With a frustrated sigh, he went back to the spot he was standing in before he had tried improvising and waited until everyone was ready.

"Scene 136... Take 2... _ACTION!"_

Ace looked again at the opening he was expected to fit through. It looked like the other stuntman was aware of the problem and tried to widen the opening a little, but it didn't seem like it gave him much more than a few inches. Perhaps... if he lied almost completely flat... or if he angled _just slightly_... it could work, right? Whether it could or not, he was required to at least make an attempt.

He gulped as his legs started moving into a slow run. Once he was a few feet away, he threw his weight backwards as far as he could and led into the slide with his left leg. Just as his toes started passing through the makeshift archway, he found himself closing his eyes out of anxiety.

But that was probably a mistake.

Mere instants after he voluntarily obscured his vision, some kind of hidden, defensive instinct must have kicked in and the bunny pulled his leg inward, causing his knee to rise up. The timing couldn't have been worse as his knee became fully raised just before it was about to pass through... and sure enough, it kept him from completing the slide. Instead, he ended up kneeing the poor stuntman right in his crotch.

His reaction was immediate as his mouth opened in a wail, but barely any sound escaped him. His body hunched forward as he placed his hands over the wounded area. Once Ace had jumped back onto his own feet and out of the way, the man fell to his knees.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" the bunny quickly apologized as he dropped down to his level. "I'm so sorry..."

"...why would you do that...?!" he barely managed to say in spite of the high-pitched straining in his voice.

**"CUUUTT!"** the loud voice erupted from the director's chair. All eyes on the set immediately turned towards him to see the most annoyed and frustrated look he had given all day.

"_Ugh_... we don't have time for this..." he mumbled as he put his fingers over the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Okay everyone, listen up! We're going to go ahead and break for lunch a few minutes early! Now, in case you haven't been told, we're moving to a new location for the next few rounds of filming. The good people of the Second District in East Acmetropolis were kind enough to let us rent out a few streets to film most of the 'city scenes.' If you're coming with us, you have an hour to eat before I expect you at the filming set by noon sharp! _Yes_, you're expected to find a way to get there on your own, and _no_, I won't tolerate _anyone_ showing up late. We can't afford to run any further behind schedule. Alright, that's a wrap everyone, I'll see you all in an hour.

At his instruction, all the crew members and actors started packing their things and scurrying away from the set. Before he left, the director walked up to Ace with a very demeaning look. "We'll finish this up later..." he informed bitingly. "Just make sure you make it to the set on time...

It looked like today was going to be a long one...

• • •

"I just don't understand how I'm supposed ta work with dat guy..!"

Ace vented his frustration as he sat inside the trailer that would serve as his temporary dressing room while he was away from the studio. Coincidentally enough, it looked almost exactly like his original one except for the fact that this one didn't have a window.

It was only about ten minutes shy of noon, but he had been waiting there for about twenty minutes already. Considering everything that had happened that morning, he wasn't about to take any chances by showing up late. He left the studio the instant he could clean himself up and gather his things, jumping onto the earliest train he could catch. For lunch, he bought a sandwich at one of the Railway Plaza Bistros and ate it on the ride over.

Fortunately, it didn't seem like he would have to spend _all_ that time on his own. His stylist showed up shortly after he arrived and was busy slaving away at his costume and mask with his personal set of cosmetic tools, tweaking them until he was satisfied. Amy was also there with them. She had knocked on his door just a few minutes ago, asking him how he had felt about his first day thus far. Before long, all three of them had become engrossed in Ace's affairs.

"Yeah, he can be a bit difficult sometimes..." Amy answered, trying her best to say things that weren't too negative.

"Well, he might be _difficult_ fer most people," Ace went on, "but fer me, he's downright impossible. I'm pretty sure he just hates me. Nothin' I do evah seems ta be good enough fer him."

"It _does_ seem pretty strange," Amy acknowledged. "He's usually pretty hot-headed and rude, but I've never seen him act so strongly towards any one person before..."

"I've worked with other directors in tha past, an' even the worst of 'em were at least willin' ta hear me out from time to time. I don't see why Steven... or... _Stephan..._ has to be so difficult..."

"I don't want it to sound like I'm defending him or anything," the stylist spoke up, "but he _has_ been under a lot of stress lately, what with the filming deadline coming up so soon. Maybe it's all just finally starting to get to him..."

"_Dat's_ why he should be willin' ta listen ta me more often," Ace argued. "I'm just tryin' ta help him out. The script's not exactly _top quality_..."

A knock at the trailer door attracted all of their attention before a man in a headset peeked through the doorway. "Five more minutes," he informed. They all nodded in acknowledgement and the man went on his way.

"Oh, by the way Amy," the stylist asked eagerly, "is it true what they're saying? Are the stunt robots we're using really _voice activated?_"

Amy smiled. "Yeah, it's true. The guys over in the tech department put them together. They're supposed to have all their movements for each scene programmed into them and they'll start and stop when the director yells 'action' and 'cut.' I've seen them in action, and it's pretty cool to watch."

"Oooohhh, how fun!" he answered gleefully.

"Well I'm sure they're fun ta _watch_, but if they're really programmed to do what's in the script, then workin' with 'em is gonna be pretty hard. I was readin' tha script some more on tha way up here and there's some pretty stupid stuff they want me to pull off."

"You don't think you can do it?" Amy asked.

"No, I'm pretty sure I can," Ace answered, "but it all just seems so boring and cliché. I have so many different ideas for things I could do instead that would look so much cooler! I just wish he was willin' ta give me a chance..."

"If I might make a suggestion..." the stylist began, putting down his work for a moment and speaking directly to the stuntman. "In _my_ opinion, it seems like he's not as upset about you wanting to change things, as he is about you just changing them in the middle of the scene without telling him. Maybe you could try talking to him before you even go on the set and see if you can get something reasonable worked out..."

"You really think that'll work?" Ace asked. It sounded like a logical answer, but he wasn't fully convinced. It seemed a little too simple...

"Oh absolutely!" he ensured. "Trust me, I know _plenty_ of guys like him. They're just like chihuahuas, yapping their heads off until they get some attention. Give him some attention, and I'm sure he'll at least give you _something_ to work with."

Ace turned his head over at Amy to see what she thought of the whole idea. "It wouldn't hurt to try..." she said while shrugging her shoulders.

_"But what if it does?"_ Ace couldn't help but think to himself.

• • •

The blonde woman watched helplessly in horror as the menacing humanoid robot closed in on her, having trapped her at the dead end of an alleyway. She looked around frantically, trying to see if there was still a way to escape, but there was clearly no way out.

"No..." she muttered, terrified.

_"Destroy humanity... destroy humanity... destroy..."_ the robot kept repeating ceaselessly as it continued to close in on her. It finally stopped once it was within striking distance and raised one of its giant metal claws in preparation to attack. The woman clutched the stone wall behind her and released a terrified scream in a last-ditch effort to attract some attention.

Fortunately, her efforts weren't in vain.

Before the robot could strike, someone from behind gave the machine a firm tap on its shoulder. With its attention temporarily diverted, it turned around to see who the culprit was. Standing there, cracking his knuckles was none other than Man-Babe, come to rescue another innocent citizen from a terrifying monster.

"Sorry, bucket-boy," he said in his typical low, tough-guy voice, "not today!"

He gave a taunting motion with his fingers and assumed a fighting stance. Having assessed the newcomer as a threat, the robot turned his full attention away from the girl and instead threw its claws at the hero.

_"Destroy humanity..."_ it continued to drone, _"destroy..."_

"Aaaaand... CUT!" the booming voice of the director yelled shortly after. Recognizing the voice command, the robot instantly halted its attack with its claw just inches away from the action hero's face.

"Oh Man-Babe, that was _fantastic!_" he praised enthusiastically as he walked onto the set and approached the actor. "I can always count on you to put on a top-notch performance, can't I?" The director laughed as he continued to shower his star with compliments while escorting him to the side. "Now, why don't you take a break while we shoot the fight scene, hmm? You deserve it..!"

Mere seconds after Man-Babe had walked away, his smile once again warped back into its usual scowl. _"Where's that stunt rabbit?!"_ he barked.

Ace wondered why he always acted like it was some kind of ordeal to locate their stunt double every take. He was never far away. He wasn't off slacking in his trailer, or stuffing himself at the snack table. He was waiting just off-set, behind the cameras for his cue to come in, just as he had been doing all morning.

Of course, he probably shouldn't have expected him to notice.

"Eh... dat would be stunt _bunny,_" he corrected after walking into view.

The director just stared at him humorlessly. "Whatever..." he mumbled. "Now remember, _bunny_... we're going to do the take _right_ this time... just as it's written in the script and exactly how you rehearsed it. No surprises, okay?"

Ace swallowed a bit. Trying to convince a guy like him to change his mind about anything would probably just be an exercise in futility. But, he knew he had to try something. If he was going to work with him, the least he could do was try to establish some common creative ground. He remembered what he had been told earlier in his trailer. It wouldn't hurt to try...

"A-actually, sir, I was hopin' ta talk to ya about dat..."

"You mean, about the script..?"

"Yeah... I mean, it's fine an' all, but I was thinkin' dat maybe I could... run some changes by ya foist and see what ya think before we start filmin'. Ya see, I've got some ideas I know yer gonna love..!"

The director didn't actually answer him, but instead raised his eyebrow in a curious, yet still warning gesture. Interpreting the fact that he wasn't immediately shot down as a small victory, he continued on.

"Foist off, I gotta say dat _most _o' tha script is okay, but most o' Man-Babe's moves are a little... _predictable_ fer my tastes. I mean, yer nevah gonna _'wow'_ tha audience with stuff they've already seen before. So... _I _was thinkin' dat when tha robot comes at me... I could start off with one o' _these..._"

Ace then proceeded to physically act out his ideas in front of him, assuming they would probably seem more marketable if he could demonstrate them himself. He narrated his reasons for every punch, kick, or jump all as reasonably as he could, seemingly while the director waited patiently for him to finish.

"So whaddya think?" he asked in conclusion.

The director petted the point of his goatee for a moment as he thought about his answer. "Oh, you want to know what _I_ think?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yeah."

He chuckled somewhat sarcastically, "_I_ think... that a certain _rabbit_... should stop acting like he knows what's best and just do as he's told..."

"B-but..." Ace stammered.

"Oh, there's no _'buts'_ about this..." he continued darkly. "You see... _I_ am the director... which makes _me_ the boss... and that means _you_ have to do things _**exactly**_ the way I tell you to. Being on the set of a big-shot movie like this doesn't change the fact that you're still just some run-of-the-mill rookie stuntman. I don't care if you could take out all these robots with your eyes closed, you don't have the _right_ to mess with my vision for this film! And if I so much as _hear_ about you wanting to change anything else again, I'll have you replaced faster than you can say you're sorry! Do I make myself clear?"

His words stung like venom. "Uh..."

_"Do I make myself clear?"_ he spat out even more forcefully.

Ace turned his now conflicted gaze to the ground. So much for trying...

"Yes sir..." he said softly with a sigh.

"Good," he finished simply before turning back around to his chair. It looked like their little argument was over, but it turned out that the director had one last thing to say...

"ACTION!"

What? Were they starting the take already? Ace had barely even started putting his mask on. Surely the cameras weren't...

Ace's thoughts halted immediately after picking up the hum of machinery. He only had time to turn his head and catch sight of the huge metal claw lunging towards him, but by then it was too late. Ace yelped in pain as the ten-foot tall robot grabbed the bunny by his ears and lifted him well off the ground. His ears were arguably the most sensitive part of his body, so any attempts he made to try and wrestle himself out of its grasp were only met with more pain. It became even harder once the robot started to shake him around violently, denying him any clear concentration.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that many members of the crew were scrambling around urgently, trying to find anyone with access to some kind of safety switch to deactivate the robot before he was actually injured. After a few more terrifying seconds of being thrown around like a ragdoll, the robot gave off a flash of light and a beeping noise before freezing in place. Moments later, its claw snapped open and Ace was freed.

He stumbled around for a second, both dizzy from the tossing and sore from the iron grip of the machine before he allowed himself to fall to the floor, clutching the base of his ears to help alleviate some of the pain. Trying his best to recompose himself, he refused to look up at the director - or anyone else for that matter - as he lied there on the ground. Though he did allow himself to listen in on what sounded like some kind of argument starting up.

_"Steven?! _What was _that_ all about?" That was definitely Amy's voice and she sounded unusually upset.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." he responded, feigning ignorance.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about," she argued. "You were the one who gave the robot his start command."

"I was simply starting up the scene," he defended pompously. "If Ace didn't take it upon himself to be ready in time, then I cannot be held accountable for what happens as a result."

"But he _clearly_ wasn't ready, no one was! He didn't even have time to put on his mask... the cameras weren't even rolling! Ace could've been seriously hurt... you can't just treat your actors that way..."

It sounded like the director wasn't going to tolerate this either. "Now listen, Amy... I hope I don't have to remind you that you are just a lowly _intern_ here. You are in _no_ position to be talking back to me in such a way..!"

As the two of them continued to argue, Ace rolled onto his back and found himself gazing into the clouds that flew overhead. As grateful as he was that at least _someone_ was willing to stand up for him, he couldn't help but feel concerned over what she might be getting herself into. A part of his brain seemed to urge him into getting back on his feet to join Amy in her justified outrage over what had just transpired. But, an even larger part of his brain seemed to convince him that simply lying there would be the best option. It puzzled him as to why he felt that way, but...

Never in his life had Ace felt so... helpless.

It was a strange feeling for him. He had always thought he was the kind of person who could keep control of things, always finding a way to overcome anything that stood in his way. But this time it was different. He just felt so powerless... about _everything._ As much as he felt like going up to the director himself and just slapping - or beating - some sense into him, he knew that was just something he couldn't do. He had already dug himself into a deep enough hole, and he knew full well that he could never get away with doing something like that. Hell, it seemed like he would lose his job if he so much as said another word. All personal pride aside, he couldn't afford to let something like that happen. His financial situation was far too fragile to endure that kind of hit.

Besides he wasn't about to throw away something he had spent years working towards. This was everything he had ever wanted... his dream... wasn't it? It was hard for him to picture today being anything like he had imagined when he was younger. It seemed like the only thing he had learned from this experience so far was that sometimes it actually _did_ hurt to try. If this was really his opportunity of a lifetime... why was he starting to regret it? Would it always be this way? Had his dreams simply been caught up in idealism all these years, blinding him from reality? Did he really want something like this?

This was the first time thoughts like these had ever actually occurred to Ace, and he found them troubling. He had always felt so sure of himself when it came to who he was and what he wanted. But all of a sudden, he was beginning to doubt... well, _everything. _Despite the uproar that seemed to be taking place off-set, all he could bring himself to do was stare at the clouds... reflecting over every circumstance in his life that had led him to that particular moment...

And that's when it happened.

For a brief second, it had looked like the sky had gotten a bit... brighter than normal. From where he was lying, it also felt like the ground beneath him was trembling. Was it some kind of earthquake? As the sky seemed to glow brighter and brighter and the shaking beneath him became more noticeable with each passing second, he finally found the motivation to sit himself upright. Looking around, he found that most of the crew appeared to be distracted by something in the sky. Curiously, Ace turned his attention in the direction of their gazes, and his eyes opened wide when he saw what it was.

Flying above the city, just underneath the clouds, was a magnificent fireball of orange and gold light. Even in the full brightness of mid-day, the tongues and streams of fire that sprouted from its core were very much visible and stunning in their brilliance. Ace could only watch in awe as the spectacle streaked across the sky with the sound and intensity of a jet engine that made the Earth tremble beneath it.

By that point, all sorts of people had poured out of nearby buildings and spilled into nearby streets to get a good look at the astronomical wonder that had come to visit them. Judging from their expressions, this was a sight that none of them had expected to see today. Ace certainly hadn't heard anything about an incoming meteor or a comet recently, and considering how closely it was treading in their atmosphere, he assumed this would've been a very news-worthy event.

But as he watched the flying rock leave its line of fire in the sky, he noticed something very unsettling. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination... but it looked like the rock was getting closer.

In fact... it looked like it was headed straight for Acmetropolis Harbor.

This realization must have occurred to some of the citizens as well, as he noticed a few of them calling out to the people around them, trying to warn them of what was about to happen. If only the roar of the comet wasn't so deafening...

There was little time for reaction anyway. The ball of light disappeared behind the distant skyscrapers for only a moment before it made impact. The instant it did, the ground beneath them shook violently before the entire world that sat before their eyes seemed to light up in an explosion of white light, followed seconds later by a thunderous roar. A mushroom cloud of smoke and water shot upwards in the distance and he noticed what looked like a massive wall of wind rushing outward in all directions, headed straight for them.

The wall reached them in a matter of seconds, only giving the citizens enough time to brace themselves before it hit with the force of a hurricane wind. Ace was knocked backwards, but he managed to regain his composure quickly and repositioned himself with a more proper foot placement on the ground that kept him from being swept up any further by the winds.

That initial wall of wind was the worst, but it thankfully only lasted a few seconds before it passed over, leaving only a strong and steady gust that followed behind it. With the gusts being less blinding, Ace once again opened his eyes only to spy something else coming their way. Instead of wind, this second shockwave looked more like a massive wall of light, no doubt being the _true_ shockwave accompanying the impact. It moved more slowly than the wall of wind, its light enveloping everything it touched in that same unearthly glow, but it also looked much more powerful, shaking the very ground it swallowed. The closer it got, the more... _electrical_ it looked in nature and Ace braced himself for the worst before the shockwave finally fell upon them.

For the first few seconds, Ace was surprised to feel that the shockwave actually felt rather mild. Other than the ground shaking, it seemed like it consisted of nothing more than just..._ light._ But that didn't last for long. Not even an instant later, he started to feel a tingling, almost numbing sensation in his body, starting at the ends of his limbs and migrating towards his center. It was weak at first... like some sort of odd neurological sensation... before it quickly progressed into something more painful. The tingling intensified all over his body and each prick felt like it sent waves of pressure throughout his skin and muscles. It soon intensified further into a burning sensation that made him feel like his entire body was heating up slowly from the inside. He noticed though, that this feeling was most heavily concentrated in his eyes, which practically felt like they were on fire.

After that, he felt what he could only describe as waves of energy pulsating throughout the length of his entire body as if it were alive with some kind of possessive electrical discharge. All of the sensations collectively shook his body in a cacophony of supernatural forces unleashed for several more seconds, taxing his mind and body repeatedly before it showed any signs of letting up. The cooling down that followed was gradual, but the phenomenon eventually left him, leaving an exhausted feeling in each of his muscles as his body trembled from the experience. A loud ringing lingered in his ears, and the burning only seemed to persist in his eyes.

Though he was temporarily rendered both blind and deaf, he did manage to notice that the ground had finally stopped shaking and he was beginning to pick up the muted sounds of people once again. The shockwave must've passed. Even though it felt like he was about ready to fall over, he forced himself to use whatever energy he had left to pry his eyes open, even a little, to see for himself what the aftermath looked like.

But oddly enough... all he could see was yellow...

Well... until everything slowly faded to black and he collapsed into a heap on the ground.

• • •

"… Ace… … … up…"

The voice sounded muffled and foreign at first… almost slurry and barely recognizable.

"… Ace! … …okay? Ace…"

The odd voice kept calling him back to consciousness, getting clearer with each passing second. His eyelids opened just a crack, letting in a small ray of blurred light.

"He's waking up…! Ace… can you hear me?" It was a man's voice.

"Ace… are you okay?" That time it was a female voice.

Pulling himself out of whatever daze he was in, the bunny finally managed to open his eyes. They still pained him somewhat, feeling a large pressure somewhere in the back of his eye sockets, and his vision was still cloudy, making it hard for him to see. There was an odd yellow tint in his view as well, as if he was looking through a thin sheet of pale yellow plastic. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second in reaction to the pressure, before most of it seemed to suddenly disappear. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see his vision had returned to normal, clear and focused.

"Are you alright, Ace? How do you feel?" the male voice asked.

Looking up, he saw two people kneeling on the ground beside him. Amy was waiting on his left side and a cameraman he couldn't recall the name of waited at his right. It also looked like there were a number of other crew members standing behind them both, interested in what was happening, but choosing to keep their distance.

"Ugh... my head hurts..." Ace replied weakly.

"Can you sit up?" Amy asked.

He was feeling a little weak and dizzy, and his eyes still ached somewhat... but other than that he didn't seem to be in any serious pain. "Yeah... I think so..." he muttered.

The cameraman assisted the bunny up into a seating position. Amy was handed a water bottle from someone behind her and she in turn offered it to him. "Here, have some of this..."

As he held the water bottle in his hand, he suddenly became aware of how dry his mouth was, and gladly took a few gulps. As the cool, refreshing liquid quenched his mouth and slid down his throat, he felt his pains start to alleviate. He took another moment or two to recover as Amy and the cameraman continued to wait beside him patiently.

"What happened?" he eventually asked.

"You've been out cold for the past fifteen minutes," she answered. "We were starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up..."

"I can barely remembah anything..."

"You don't remember what happened?" the cameraman asked.

"It's hard ta say. My memory's a little fuzzy right now..."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Amy asked with concern.

Ace closed his eyes and put his fingers over his brow as tried to recollect his experience. "Well... I remembah lookin' up at tha sky an' seein' dat light fly ovah. Then I remembah it looked like it was comin' down and..." His eyes grew wide with realization as he remembered the impact, and the incredible display of force that came with it. "... it landed right in Acmetropolis Harbor! What happened to tha city, are tha people okay...?"

Ace would end up answering his own question after he started taking a look at the city that surrounded him. He was surprised to see that most of the buildings looked to be well-intact. There was a bit of debris scattered in odd places, and a few structures seemed to have taken some minor damage, but other than that, it looked like the city around him had held itself up pretty well. He did notice a large amount of people dispersed in the street though. They all seemed to be concerned over what had happened, but it was far from any sort of panic. A lot of them looked like they were gathering to form search parties or volunteer clean-up crews to help out anyone who might have needed assistance.

But as he continued to look around, he _did_ notice something odd. His vision was... surprisingly clear. He had never considered himself to have _bad_ vision in any way... but he never remembered his eyes having this much clarity before. Things in far-off distances that should have been naturally blurry, he could see with almost perfect resolution. He surprised himself whenever he focused in on a woman standing at the other end of the street, at least a full block away from where he sat, and could easily make out the color of her eyes. Hazel. Not only could he see things with much more clarity, it also looked like his overall field of vision had increased significantly. He was just looking in one particular spot, but it felt like he could pick out almost every minute detail in that frame, clearly and distinctly, as if his brain had taken some sort of high-definition panoramic photo. There was no way his vision could've been like this before... right?

"It looks like we were one of the lucky ones," Amy informed him, redirecting the bunny's attention. "From what they're saying, there wasn't a whole lot of damage to the city as a whole, which is surprising considering that we just got struck by an _asteroid._ Still, it looks like a number of other places got hit pretty badly."

"I've heard that the worst hit spots were the ones closest to the harbor, like North Acmetropolis and some parts of Central…" the man included. "Other than those, they just seem to be random areas that couldn't stand up to the blast. We're not all that far from the shore ourselves, so I'm surprised we made it out so well."

That's when a terrifying thought occurred to Ace. "What about East Eleventh?" he asked with a bit of urgency. "How is it over there?"

The man looked puzzled by his inquiry, but Amy instantly understood. "Hang on, I'll check…" she replied while getting up. Ace watched as she walked over to another spot on the set where a number of people had gathered around a television screen. It was broadcasting a local news program that was reporting on the circumstances of the impact. He couldn't hear anything from where he sat, but he could make out every word he saw on-screen. The banner on bottom was informing the viewers of a building that had collapsed downtown, but nothing else.

"You have family there…?" the cameraman asked, putting the pieces together.

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a second before Amy came back with some fresh information. "Well, it doesn't _seem_ like anything's happened there. Some of those guys have been watching the news for a while now and none of them have heard anything about East Eleventh. I'm sure it's holding up fine…"

"Besides, isn't East Eleventh even _further_ away from the shore than we are?" the man pointed out. "I don't think they could be any worse off than us."

Ace breathed a small sigh of relief. Of course, his fears wouldn't be completely quelled until he got home and saw for himself, but their words did ease his mind some. He just hoped that his mother was doing okay…

"Do you remember anything after the blast?" Amy asked, continuing the questions they had started earlier.

"Well," he recollected, "I remembah seein' tha shockwave come after us. All dat wind… an' dat wall of light…"

The cameraman smirked, "yeah that was pretty intense…" Amy nodded in agreement.

"I'll say," Ace acknowledged, remembering what he had experienced, "my skin still feels sorta numb from all tha tinglin'…"

"Tingling?" Amy repeated curiously.

"Yeah… ya know, from tha shockwave." Both of them just stared at the bunny blankly and exchanged confused looks with each other. "You guys didn't feel anything?" he asked.

"Well... the shockwave felt a little… _warm_," the cameraman answered. "But, I didn't feel any tingling."

"Me neither…" Amy concurred.

Just when he thought his condition couldn't get any stranger...

So many questions were buzzing around in Ace's mind. What was the reason for those sensations he felt? Why had _he_ felt while they hadn't? What had happened to his vision? Were they somehow connected? What kind of shockwave – from a meteor impact no less – does such little damage to city infrastructure? Ace forced himself the push the thoughts away. It all just seemed so crazy to him and it wasn't helping his headache.

"Do you think maybe that's the reason you-?" Amy started to ask, but couldn't finish. A loud and familiar voice erupted out of nowhere and interrupted everyone.

_"What do you mean we have to call it a day?!"_

The voice belonged to none other than the director, conversing with a man in a headset some distance away from them. Judging by the look on his face, he clearly wasn't happy.

"With all due respect, sir," the man explained, "you can't honestly expect us to keep filming. The city is in a state of emergency..."

"Well that _may_ be true for the _rest _of the city, but everything looks to be just fine around here if you ask me. You know _full_ well how behind our deadlines we are, and we can't afford to-"

"Oh, will you just _shut up_ about the stupid movie already..?" Amy said loudly, breaking herself into their conversation. Like many others, she had just about heard enough out of him for one day. "In case you haven't noticed, your lead stunt double _just_ regained consciousness..."

The director gave her a sneer before responding. "Well, that's all the more reason why we should continue! All of our actors are fine, and the set is still standing. There's nothing stopping us..!"

"Actually sir," another man spoke up, "it looks like we're having a problem with the robot..."

_"What?!"_ he bellowed as he turned to the technician standing by the android, fiddling with the buttons on a remote control.

"The communication system must be down. It's not responding to any of my controls..."

"Our backup robots aren't working either..." added another technician who was standing further away, next to an additional two robots that were intended to be used in scenes later that day.

"Nonsense," the director insisted, "I'm sure they're working just fine. It must just be your remotes." He walked up closer to where the main robot stood and cupped his hands around his mouth to imitate a megaphone. "ACTION!"

Surprisingly enough, the robot did respond to its starting prompt, but it was far from functional. The few display lights it had flickered randomly between off and on and the only movements in its limbs were sluggish and glitchy. Ace even noticed a few sparks sputtering out of a spot in its neck. The backup robots also seemed to respond the same way.

"It must have been from the blast," the technician hypothesized. "Something from the shockwave must've messed with their circuits... I can't say for sure, but whatever _is_ wrong with them, they're clearly not in working condition. Without them, there's no way we can keep filming..."

The director looked like he was about to start tearing his hear out. _"Are you kidding me?!_ Oh, how can this day get _any_ worse?"

Unfortunately for them, statements like that usually don't go unanswered.

As if in response to his outburst, the robot beside them started behaving more aggressively. It became loud with the buzzing of electricity and the whirring of dysfunctional gears. The machine's movements still looked glitchy and erratic, but they were a good deal quicker now while also being larger and more forceful. Everyone on set eyed the robot with a good deal of concern as it started hobbling around, its limbs seeming to jolt about in odd timing. Their worst fear was confirmed once a rapid swing of its arm sent its claw flying straight at the wall of a nearby building, dislodging a large chunk of stone.

A few screams and terrified yelps sounded from the people on set as everyone of them took a step back in unison, those closest to the out-of-control robot running away in a hurry. The force of the swing apparently knocked the robot off its balance for a second as it teetered to the side, beginning to fall over. It ran right into the wall of a building on the other side of the alley, shedding another cloud of debris onto the ground. Standing back up straight, it started staggering gradually away from them, exiting the alley.

"Somebody stop it!" a person behind them yelled. "It's headed into the street!"

Ace watched as a number of technicians started reaching for whatever controls they could find, hoping to input an effective "stop" command. A number of other people yelled out _"CUT"_ to see if its vocal command system was now operational. None of these methods seemed to have any effect though as the robot continued its slow progression to the crowded nearby street. A crew member that had gotten too close to the rogue machine had been knocked violently out of the way by a flailing arm, causing a number of people to rush towards the spot where he landed. Everyone else on the set started scrambling in one direction or the other, either trying to find a way they could help, or just looking for a place to hide. Some of the people in the street were just beginning to notice the incoming threat and began leading people out of the area.

"How are we supposed to stop something like that?" Amy wondered aloud, clearly worried. Ace shared her sense of urgency and found himself looking over the robot as well as he could, trying to formulate a plan. It only took him a moment before he was hit with a realization.

"I have an idea. I'll be back!" he declared as he sprinted away from the scene.

"Ace? What are you-" Amy began to question, but by then the bunny had already gotten too far away. As he ran across the set, he also noticed that the other two robots were beginning to act just as erratically as the first one while a group of crew members were trying their best to contain them. He had no time to waste.

In just seconds, he had made it back to his trailer. Bolting through the door, he immediately ran to his wardrobe closet to find what he was looking for. Propped against the back wall, was the sheath carrying his training blade. It was the same one he had used for the auditions the day before, given to him by his stunt coordinator earlier that morning for personal practice. It may not have been made from a strong metal like an actual sword, but it was still a durable piece of handiwork and he was sure that he could find a way to make it useful. It _was_ technically a blade after all. He pulled the sword out of its sheath and sprinted back out of his trailer.

Not even a moment later, he was running back through the alleyway, towards the robot, before the sound of Amy's voice stopped him.

"Ace, what are you doing?" she asked with concern.

"I'm goin' ta stop dat thing," he answered simply.

"But you're in _no_ condition to fight," she argued. "You just regained consciousness _ten_ minutes ago. Besides, what do you expect to do with a sword like that? This robot isn't made of "dummy metal", it's _actual_ steel..."

"Just trust me on this, I have a plan," he replied confidently. "Besides, ya saw me at my audition yesterday. Ya should know full well what I can do with a fake sword..."

Ace smirked at her in an attempt to convey his self-confidence. She still looked conflicted, but it appeared that she couldn't bring herself to argue any further. Refusing to wait around any longer, the young bunny sprang into action.

By the time he had gotten close to the machine, it had already made it halfway through the street. Its drunken-like staggering made its advancements slow, but it was still proving itself to be a serious threat, having smashed into a couple of cars already and remaining undeterred. Ace looked over the robot once again as he ran towards it. There was no denying how strong and sturdy it looked, but it was built with a crucial design flaw, one that he was expected to take advantage of in the movie. Despite the fact that its limbs were rather bulky and strong, the "joint-like" areas that connected them together weren't nearly as formidable. There was little to no actual metal in these areas which instead consisted of bundled masses of wires and tubing. These were his targets.

Lunging his body ahead, he readied his weapon for a swift strike at what was technically his knee joint before he noticed the incoming arm out of the corner of his eye. As quickly as he could, he ducked low and rolled to the side, the arm barely grazing the tips of his ears. He was prepared to try striking again, but the robot surprised him by stumbling backwards. Springing back to his feet, he jumped back as far as he could, enough to keep himself out of harm's way as the robot switched direction and resumed staggering forward.

It looked like this was going to be even trickier than he had expected. The robot's movements were so random and eccentric that they were hard to predict, turning both his defense and offense strategies into exercises of keen observation and reflex. Fortunately, it seemed like his reaction time was at peak performance. Most of it probably had to do with adrenaline, but he was also getting the impression that his unusual vision was helping him out as well, making him more perceptive to anything that came his way.

He danced around the robot for a few moments, dodging its unusual movements while waiting for an opportunity to strike, before an opening finally presented itself. The robot once again swung its arm widely, but it looked like that swing would clear Ace's head by at least a foot. Seizing the moment, he raised his sword up and swung it over his head quickly to slice through the wires and chop off the forearm as it passed over.

For whatever reason, maybe due to the fact that its circuits had been disrupted, the robot seemed to freeze up from a whole new wave of malfunctions and glitches. Now was his chance. Without hesitation, he ran up closer to the robot and swung his sword forcefully through its left knee joint. The robot immediately collapsed under its own weight and Ace jumped backwards to avoid being crushed as it fell. While the robot lied crippled on the ground, still flailing its limbs, Ace circled around its body, slicing through each of its other joints until it left only a head and torso.

But even then, it looked like his work wasn't quite finished. Losing its limbs seemed to glitch out the robot's systems even further as the broken body that remained started shaking and convulsing violently.

"Ace!" one of the technicians cried out to him, "the only way to stop the robot completely is to disable its central processor! It's a large microchip in its neck... destroy that and its powerless!"

The robot's uncontrollable seizing made it difficult for him to scan through the thick mass of wires and tubes that connected the head to the torso, but it looked like this was another area where his eyesight would come in handy. Focusing in on a small neon-blue light buried deep within the wiring, he found what appeared to be a small, square disk. He couldn't be sure if that was the microchip or not, but he didn't have time to check any further.

Raising his sword high, he plunged the blade deep into the robot's neck and directly into the light. The multiple wires he severed gave off bursting showers of sparks and electrical discharge, but since the weapon Ace was using wasn't actually made of conductive metal, he was fortunately spared a potentially nasty electrocution. This was probably the only advantage his fake sword had given him.

The robot's movements fell to a rapid trembling as its power slowly started to fade. Within seconds, the machine stopped moving entirely, lying in a lifeless heap on the ground. Letting go of the blade and taking a couple of steps back, Ace felt his exertion suddenly catch up to him, forcing him to take a second to try and catch his breath. Unfortunately, it looked like he wasn't going to get much of a chance to recuperate.

The sound of screaming turned his attention elsewhere and he was shocked to see that the other two robots had found their way into the street as well. Ace cursed under his breath. He hadn't noticed them at all until now, and all it did was leave him with more work to do. While one of the robots didn't seem to be making it very far, the other proved itself as the more urgent threat by having already reached the other side of teh street. In fact, he was only an arm's length away from a building that looked it had a large amount of people trapped inside. Ironically, he majority of them had probably gone inside the building for safety...

Ace tried desperately to pull his sword out of the first robot, but it wouldn't budge. Something inside must have trapped it somehow. Ace's panic only rose as he realized that the other robot was only getting closer and closer to the building and he was suddenly left without a usable weapon. He wondered for a moment if he could find something else he could use nearby, but time was against him. Another round of screams accompanied the robot as it raised one of its arms high in the air, preparing to strike the building with a dangerous amount of force. He heard everyone around take a collective, terrified gasp. He saw the many people inside visibly brace themselves for the impact.

He'd never get there in time.

The robot's arm started to come down...

_"Noooo...!"_ Ace shouted almost impulsively.

Then something unbelievable happened.

It all happened on its own, spanning no longer than a single second. Ace felt the pressure build up in the back of his eyes which slowly grew into a kind of warming sensation. He watched as almost everything he saw in front of him turned yellow, starting off as more of a weak yellow filter and progressing into a kind of vision where it looked like everything around him was painted in different shades of yellow and black. He felt what he could only describe as a _billowing_ of energy and light in his eyes that made his vision brighter and brighter. For an instant, he shut his eyelids in an attempt to contain whatever this was, but it proved too strong. As his eyes flung themselves back open, his view went almost completely white as felt all that built-up energy suddenly escape him at once with a high-frequency noise.

Once his eyesight had cleared up and everything had returned to its original color, he was thrown into stunned silence by what he saw. The robot had temporarily stopped moving... and it was missing a claw... replaced instead, by a shortened and singed stick of metal.

The forsaken claw landed on the ground a second later.

_Clank!_

Ace stared at the scene for a second, his eyes wide with confusion and awe, his thoughts practically frozen in time. Once he was sure he had regained control of his motor skills, he looked around slowly to find that everyone was staring at him, mirroring the same mix of both amazement and puzzled horror that he must have had on his own face.

_"What just happened...?"_ he thought to himself.

He felt his body start trembling as he thought more and more about it. He stared down at his unsteady hands for a second before they each found their way one at a time to his face, cautiously and thoroughly touching the areas around his eyes, as if he needed to make sure they were still his own. Ace wasn't quite sure what had happened, but the one thing he knew for sure was that the robot was missing a claw because of something _he_ had done.

And something was _definitely _up with his eyes...

Of course, even though it seemed like every person in the area had frozen themselves in place, the robot proved that it was not bound by their perception of time as it took another step forward, reaffirming itself as a threat. As attention began refocusing itself to the machine, Ace noticed something strikingly familiar. Right in its neck was the same small, blue light he had seen in the first robot. The way it was positioned, he had a clear shot at it.

The thought of experiencing it all again was almost frightening to him, but he didn't have time to brainstorm other possibilities. It was now or never, and he had to act fast...

Surely, if he had done it once, he could do it again, right?

But... how did he do it the first time...?

_What_ did he do the first time...?

It was all so confusing to him, but he didn't have time to think anything through. He closed his eyes in concentration as he tried putting his head back into the same space that it had been in just moments ago, attempting to repeat his last action...

Much to his relief, he found that it came surprisingly easy to him. He felt that same buildup of light and heat come back to him once again as everything went yellow. He opened his eyes, locked onto his target, and released the energy all in one giant burst. His vision flashed instantaneously into vivid brightness once again, but this time he could clearly make out what had happened...

It was a wild, almost electrical-looking beam of yellow and orange light that had been shot straight from his eyes...

_Laser vision...?_

The beam hit its intended target dead on, causing a small explosion of smoke and electricity in the robot's neck. It swiftly knocked the machine over on its side where it struggled for a moment before falling still.

Ace's body was still shaking, and he could see that all eyes were once again on him, resending those strange looks of confused awe. But this time, he wasn't about to freeze up. There was still one more robot that needed to be taken down, and Ace had finally found himself a usable weapon.

He wasn't about to let it go to waste...

He sprinted off at full speed towards the final robot, stopping when he was in a reasonable striking distance. Like the others, its movements were random and erratic, but Ace managed to keep himself focused long enough to keep from being hit. His initial strategy was to try and see if he could find a way to knock the machine off balance and disable its processor while it was on the ground, but when one of his arm swipes slammed directly into the ground beside him, he took advantage of a different opportunity.

While the arm was still low towards the ground, Ace jumped on top of it and took a few running steps up to the top of its body. As quickly as possible, he spread the head and torso farther apart to widen the opening in the back of the neck and locate the processor. Once he saw the light, Ace closed his eyes once again and shot out another quick laser blast directly at the microchip. Just as the circuits released their typical cloud of smoke and electricity, Ace swiftly jumped backwards off the robot and landed in a crouch on the ground behind it. The robot shook and staggered for only a few seconds more before all life escaped it, leaving a hollow metal shell that fell to the ground. Coming down from whatever adrenaline rush he had been running off of, Ace found that he couldn't pick himself back up right away or hold himself in his crouch. Instead, he flopped down into a sitting position in the middle of the street and started breathing deeply.

Looking around, all eyes were once again on him, still looking like they didn't quite understand. Ace didn't really mind at first, considering _he_ didn't quite understand it all either, but the longer he waited, the more unnerving their silence became. He saw some of the looks turn scrupulous, even fearful, and a number of them seemed to murmur things quietly to one another. _"Why isn't anyone saying anything?" _he thought to himself. _"They don't see me as some kind of __**freak**__, do they?"_

He started at each pair of eyes that stared back at him for what felt like the longest moment before someone from the back of the crowd finally broke the silence.

"He took down the robots! He saved us!"

"He's a _hero!_" shouted another person in agreement.

The collective applause that followed these outbursts started out fairly small and hesitant, but it seemed that as the people began to think more on the fact that the young bunny sitting before them had technically _saved_ them all, and less on the fact that he possessed some kind of strange, unnatural ability, the applause steadily grew into something more respectable.

In fact, it eventually turned into a large cheering section, with the citizens around him cheering loudly and happily. As the stuntman sat there absorbing all of the praise he was being given, he found himself feeling quite dumbstruck. He had honestly expected them to act more suspiciously towards him after a display like that (he had shot lasers out of his eyes for crying out loud!) Still, he had to admit that the amount of thanks he was being given did leave him with a newfound sense of validation. His lips curled into a small smile which he turned up towards the sky.

_"So this is what it feels like... to be the hero..."_

Though he kept his gaze upward, he took note of what felt like a gentle, feminine hand placed on his shoulder.

"That was truly a _fine_ display of heroism," the female voice said with both sincerity and formality. "I can most certainly see great things in your future..."

He felt the delicate hand leave him as he chuckled politely. "Thanks a lot ma'am, but I'm not sure if-" Ace cut his response short when he turned his head to the woman who was supposedly standing behind him but saw nothing but an empty street. Puzzled, he got up to his feet and looked around in all directions, failing to notice anyone else nearby.

How strange...

His attention was quickly diverted from the mystery exchange when the crowd around him suddenly converged closer, surrounding him from all sides and still celebrating. Someone must have tipped them off as to what his name was, as he could hear chanting of the word "Ace" sprinkled among them. Ace himself could only smile sheepishly, all of the attention finally starting to embarrass him. Amy had managed to stay at the front of the crowd and was the first one to approach him directly.

"Ace, that was incredible!" she praised. "You saved all of those people!"

Ace rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... I guess I kinda did, huh?"

"So how did you... err..." she began to question, but couldn't finish. She touched her eyes lightly in an attempt to still get the inquiry across.

"I.. I-I don't know... it just sorta _happened_. I've nevah been able ta-"

"Alright, _alright_ people, out of the way," the director said as he pushed his way in from the back of the crowd to the front, immediately walking up to the bunny. Seeing his face again quickly put a damper on his mood, but judging from the look on his face, it didn't seem like it would be any typical scolding.

In fact, it looked like he was smiling.

"Ace... _Ace,_ my boy, I _must_ tell you... _that_ was an incredible performance you just gave..."

The director placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder that left Ace feeling very uncomfortable. "Uh... thanks..?" he responded cautiously.

"Come on, let's talk over _here_, a little more privately..." The director placed his arm around his back protectively and ushered him through one side of the crowd and into a small vacant area outside the circle of people. Ace was already dreading whatever all of this was...

Once they were out of general hearing distance, he turned the stuntman towards him and began talking in a somewhat secretive tone. "Now, I know you and I haven't exactly seen eye to eye today... but I think that we can work out something that'll help make the _both_ of us... _very happy..._"

Ace only looked at him, confused.

"And by _happy_... I mean _rich..._" he elaborated.

Ace folded his arms and shot him a rather suspicious look. Of course this had to be something about money... "What do ya mean?" he asked.

"I mean that I see some _real_ potential in you, Ace. I've seen it this whole time... ever since I saw you in that audition yesterday, I knew that I was looking at something special. I mean, I had always _known_ that you were going to make it somewhere, what with all those incredible combat moves you have... but just now... when I saw you do that _crazy_ thing with your eyes... I _knew _that-"

"It's funny how ya nevah said any of this ta me until now," Ace pointed out humorlessly. "What're ya gettin' at, doc?"

The director cleared his throat, "I'll just cut right to the chase. What if I told you... that I can make you into a _movie star!"_

All traces of speech and conscious thought seemed to leave the bunny entirely. "What...?" he muttered strangely.

"I... want to make a movie... _starring you_! Need I say more?"

Ace only continued to stare at something in the distance, still trying to make sense of what he was being told.

"Think about it..." he continued, "any second-rate action movie can put some guy off the street in front of a camera, add some special effects and call him a superhero. But what if the movie starred someone who _actually had superpowers?!_ Think about how many people would be willing to see a movie that starred a _real-life superhero!_ A superhero like you... Ace...!"

_"Superhero...?"_ Ace heard himself mumble after a moment. That was the first time he heard someone actually use that word for him. Admittedly, it was probably something he was aware of somewhere in the back of his mind, but it looked like he needed to hear it from someone else before it made any significant impact on him. It was true, wasn't it? He had just saved a bunch of people... using an ability that was beyond natural human potential. That's what superheroes do, right? He repeated the word over and over in his head, understanding what it meant, but still not quite accepting it.

The director seemed to sense what was likely going on in the young stuntman's mind and gladly continued his persuasion. "Now I don't know _where_ or _how_ you figured out how to do that thing with your eyes... but I don't really think that's important. What's important now is what you _do_ with those powers, and _I_ can make you a_ star!_ With talent like that, you could easily become the next big thing... and in my opinion, a movie is the _perfect_ way to reveal you to the world! Ace Bunny... just as amazing off-screen as he is on-screen! This movie could be one of the biggest things the world has ever seen! I'm talking about a movie that sells out for weeks at the box office! Think about it... you'll be famous... adored... and most of all, you and I will be _rich...!"_

The more he talked, the stronger the reaction inside Ace became. Wasn't this what he always wanted... to be an icon... a role model... a hero in his own right? He had to admit that he found his argument somewhat appealing. Sure, he may have painted it in a light that seemed a bit... superficial, but he even found himself buying into his claim of wealth...

After all, money was the one thing his family needed right now...

After a second, Ace opened his mouth again to say something, but was surprised when the director stopped him from speaking. "No, no... you don't have to answer right now..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to him. "I'll let you think it over for a bit. I'll get back to you soon for an answer. I _really_ think you should consider it though, Ace. This could really be the opportunity of a lifetime... for _both_ of us..."

The director gave him a few final pats on the back before walking away, though Ace didn't seem to make any effort to look in his direction or pay him any extra attention as he left. He didn't return his attention back to the crowd right away either...

Instead, he spent the next few seconds enveloped in his own thoughts... staring at the slip of paper in his hand...

• • •

Shortly after they had talked, and after speaking with a few of his advisors, Steven had made the official announcement to his cast and crew that they were done with filming for the day. In fact, it looked like they were putting the film on an indefinite hiatus for a while, if only for the next few days while the city was still dealing with the after-effects of the comet.

Though the actors had been dismissed immediately, Ace had chosen to stay behind for a moment or two longer, seeing if he could help out the crew members in any way he could as they packed up their things. Unfortunately, it seemed that Ace's newly acquired fans - both civilians and crew members - were making his attempts at assistance a bit difficult. It seemed like every few minutes or so, he was stopped by someone who was eager to talk with him, take a picture with him, or simply thank him for what he had done. In fact, it had become so persistent that Ace started spreading around the excuse of being needed at home so he could escape all the attention.

It was a legitimate excuse though... he really did need to get home and see how his mother was doing...

Ace took a moment to gather up all his things and say goodbye to his friends on the set - whether they had been friends all day or for just the past few minutes - and got himself onto a train headed home.

As his rail cart raced through the Eastern districts, Ace's mind was as reflective as ever. So much had happened today, that he didn't even know what to be the most anxious about. He found himself pulling the business card the director had given him out of his pocket often and looking it over intently. He still found it hard to believe that he was pratcically just one phone call away from being a real movie star. He thought about how much his life would change if he accepted such an offer. Could he really be famous? Could he really be rich... rich enough to pull him and his mom out of the financial situation they were in? It all seemed so appealing, but he couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious about how suddenly the director seemed to flip-flop on his feelings toward him. Was there some kind of ulterior motive at work, here?

Well... whether there was one or not, he found it comforting to at least have the option in front of him... that in itself meant a lot.

But even compared to that, his newfound abilities seemed to be the thing weighing most heavily on his mind, a fact he was being constantly reminded of as he stared out the train window. What _were_ these powers he had suddenly been given? How did he get them? _Why_ did he get them? As much the implications of such questions concerned him, they also intrigued him... excited him, even. He couldn't practice his laser vision while he was on the train, but he frequently found himself testing the limits of his vision capabilities while observing the city outside his train cart.

Technically, his childhood dream had come true. He had abandoned it a long time ago, for obvious reasons, but being in such a situation now left him with an almost child-like sense of wonder. He _really_ had superpowers, didn't he? He eventually found himself thinking less about how and why he had been given these abilities and more on all the things he could do with him. How would explain such a thing to his mother? _Would_ he explain such a thing to his mother? He was sure he could figure out a good way to do it...

Ace smiled to himself. It looked like things were finally beginning to look up...

Watching the city intently as he passed it by, he had made it about halfway through his trip home when he first noticed it.

It was a small electronics store with a busted front window. Shards of shattered glass were strewn across the sidewalk in front of it, and it looked like a few television sets that had been sitting in the display were missing. The whole building had been lined with police tape and a few officers were talking with some people outside, likely gathering information about the incident.

It didn't take a detective to know what had happened there. It only seemed natural that looters would take advantage of an opportunity where the majority of people were seized by a moment of fear or uncertainty (like a meteor strike) to stir some panic, break into a store, and make off with whatever they could grab. It didn't seem all that surprising to be honest, and the sight really didn't bother him much.

That was, until he started seeing it more often. It started off as a fairly rare occurrence, but it seemed like the closer he got to home, the more and more he saw the end results of those petty crimes. Broken windows, busted doors, cars sitting on the side of the road that had clearly been broken into... all of these things became an increasingly more common occurrence in the streets he passed by, so much so that it started to affect his mood.

His eyes went wide when he even passed a looting as it was taking place. They were only his view for a second, but he picked up what looked like two masked individuals walking out of a jewelry store with boxes in their hands. One of them looked like he was holding a gun.

As he continued to see more and more of it, a terrifying thought occurred to him... and for the rest of the ride home, he prayed it wasn't true.

Minutes later, when he had gotten off at the station in East Eleventh, he found that things were in even worse condition here. Signs of panic and violence were everywhere inside the station, and it looked like things weren't any better out in the street. There were still people walking around, but most of them looked scared and confused. It wasn't anything like the concerned, yet unified feeling he had seen in the people in the Second District.

Without a second's hesitation, his feet broke into a run.

_"Faster... faster... you've gotta get home... faster...!"_

Everything else in his life seemed to lose all importance. The business card in his pocket was just a meaningless slip of paper... the powers in his eyes weren't anything worth focusing on... the comet that had hit the city not even an hour ago was nothing more than an afterthought.

As his legs struggled to cover as much ground as possible, getting home was the only thing in his life that seemed to hold any importance.

He breathed a small sigh of relief as he passed _Molly's Market_ and didn't see any sign of forced entry. However, once he had travelled a few blocks further, his heart sank at what he arrived at. Not only did it look like a brick had been thrown through one of the windows, but the door to his apartment complex had also been pulled off its hinges and was strewn crookedly to the side.

He immediately ran through the entrance and took a good look around. The main lobby looked like it was missing a lot of things, and most of whatever furniture or furnishings that had been left behind were strewn about carelessly. Even now, there were a good number of people gathered together, offering comfort or security to the many people who appeared visibly shaken. But his mother was nowhere to be found.

"Ace, thank God you're here...!" a voice sounded, diverting Ace's attention elsewhere.

It was the landlady, Mrs. Valdez who had tried to get his attention. The baby she carried in her hands wouldn't stop crying as his mother rushed around frantically, trying her best to keep things under control. She looked even worse than the guests did.

"Stephanie..." Ace began, "what happened...?"

"I don't have time to explain Ace," she replied. "But don't worry... I've called the police and they'll be bringing some ambulances over any minute now..."

Just as quickly as she had come, Mrs. Valdez whisked herself away, not having the time to stick around and chat. "What about my mother... is she okay?" he called out after her. But by then, she had already been stopped by someone else in the lobby, desperate for answers of his own. The more he thought about her answer, the more his stomach turned, and Ace immediately ran for the stairs.

He was practically skipping three or four steps at a time in his race up the stairwell. Reaching the third floor, he sprinted down to the end of the hallway and found the one thing he was hoping he wouldn't see.

The lock on his door was broken, as if someone had forcibly tried to make their way in.

Ace swung the door open and saw the mess his apartment had been left in. Furniture was overturned, his television was missing, and countless items lay scattered all over the floor.

But that wasn't the worst of it.

There... leaned up against the side of their living room couch... sat his mother...

She was hunched over, and clutching what looked like a stab wound in the side of her stomach.

...

_"Mom..."_

* * *

><p><strong>:O Cliffhanger...<strong>

**Since my opening note is so long, I'm gonna try my best to keep this one fairly short.**

**Alright, so now you finally got to see how Ace discovered his powers! What do you think is gonna happen now? What's going to happen to his mother? What other crazy things does the world have in store for our Loonatic leader? Well, he's just got one more chapter left, and all answers will become clear! Yay :D**

**Now about the last chapter, I can't say for sure when it will come out, but I'm hoping that I can get it up around the first week of April. I'm making the assumption that I can probably write the next chapter in about the same amount of time as this one took, but I can't say for sure. I'm also going to try and make it significantly shorter... at most around the length of the first one. That being said, don't hold me to anything at this point. **

**Anyway, PLEASE leave me a review. I always want to see what people think about my writing, and the more reviews I get, the easier it is for me to motivate myself into writing. So please, feel free to let me know what you thought. :)**

**Until next time, guys...**


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